May it Be
by Nicole Silverwolf
Summary: A magician, an elf and a guardian...trophy ambassadors from an Emerald Isle, for an Egyptian pharaoh who would use them for nothing more than Shadow Realm games. Not if they have anything to say about it... Moderately AU. Updated Finally!
1. Journey

Disclaimer: Nothing here save the idea is mine...too bad...I would like the other stuff too...heh -;; The title is from the Lord of the Rings Soundtrack if you didn't recognize it.

Notes: AU. General messing with Ancient History, magic and such...yes Irish people were around back then...just not nearly as organized. Nor were the Romans, or sophisticated boats...just suspend your imagination for a while.

I always wondered how cards with very Irish/Chinese/Japanese themes made it into a game that was supposedly created solely in Egypt. So this is a story that kinda tries to explain that, within the idea that Pegasus didn't just add them in for fun. Also suspending the idea that this game actually started in Japan and Irish culture is relatively retro are always welcome.

* * *

**May it Be**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

_"May it be an evening star  
Shines down upon you  
May it be when darkness falls  
Your heart will be true  
You walk a lonely road  
Oh How far you are from home…" _

-Excerpt from Enya's 'May it Be' LoTR Soundtrack

* * *

The trio had been traveling for months. Almost a year if one were following the Roman or lunar calendars.

The weather had been mercifully temperate for the last month as they crossed the great sea to the head of the great river...the Nile...and the last leg of their journey.

So it was no surprise to find the three newest ambassadors of the far north Celtic kingdoms staring forlornly towards the land they had left behind...instead of to the place they would probably remain for the rest of their lives.

The Emerald Isle, her lush green lands and vivid blue waters never seemed so far away.

It was hot here. Worse than the hottest day during the warm months at home. And though they had been told to expect this weather as a normal and not a fluke, the three youngsters were overwhelmed by it. Even the loosest and thinnest clothing they wore was too heavy and they had procured even lighter material at the last port they had stopped.

Many had assured them they would get used to it. And within three moon turnings, they had to a degree acclimated to the radically different climate. That did not mean that they needed to like it. At least their formal attire was saved for when they actually arrived.

The splash and consequent ripples of the tossed stone were lost in the larger waves instantly.

'If I were any kind of great magician...I would have made sure fate passed me by for this position,' she snorted mentally as they began to move up the great estuary and into the deltas.

It would be two more days till they reached the capital. There they would greet the king of this land and pledge their loyalty to him in the name of their own clan leaders. And though they had been charged with teaching the young monarch all they knew about magic and their own lands...everyone knew why the three of them were really there.

A magician and two elves...trophy ambassadors for an Egyptian pharaoh who would use them for nothing more than Shadow Realm games.

They had all been raised to be more than that.

An uneasy shift to her right made her glance up at the burly elf beside her. She wondered if he was thinking of their home...missing it as much as she did.

He was an adventurer, her and the other elf had found that out on the land journey that had brought them to the edge of this great sea. But she had a feeling he had not really wanted to leave home to travel so very far away, for so very long.

The _'Celtic Guardian'_ may be his title, but Rowan was truly a family elf at heart.

The second eldest of a large clan of Elves located far to the north--of even her own home--Rowan was devoted to his younger siblings and numerous cousins. Many a night had been passed in laughter as he had recounted tales of playing horse and hanging upside down from trees while his brothers and more rugged sisters used him as a swing, ladder and rope. Or of the times he patiently sat still while his sisters practiced braiding and hairstyles with his own golden locks.

Most often, he had said...they had ended up creating a lovely knotted mess instead. He once confided that he missed those days greatly.

Of course those days had been shared with rigorous training as well. The muscles and the expert way in which he wielded the sword at his side spoke of a skill gained only through knowledge and practice. Being the second son guaranteed that he would not inherit the title of Lord of his clan and since it was common practice at the time, he had prepared to become a knight instead. Probably with the intent of roaming the whole of the Isle before returning to his homeland to take up a position and raise a family of his own.

His golden red eyes would go distant usually after a story like that. It did not take genius to realize that he would probably never achieve such a simple dream.

Kyna was not any different, and yet worlds apart. The refined and beautifully delicate _'Mystic Elf'_ of legend had a much smaller family and had been raised in the milder climate of the eastern shores. Aside from that, she had been raised among fae and was more knowledgeable of them than of her own people. Probably why she had been required to make this journey.

A regular at the high court, she knew much of politics and was an accomplished mystic even at such a young age. Her skill in battle spells was well known throughout the games.

And her tales of the fae and their customs had filled many of the traveling hours during the day since neither she nor Rowan had had any contact with the fabled race.

Kyna had an affinity for music and had been trained in most of the classical instruments. Her playing had reminded them of home on the many nights when nothing familiar surrounded them for miles.

And herself. The _'Magician of Faith'_. Or any other number of names her position had been given over the centuries.

Aidan; the lone human of the group.

She had been born with magic in her blood, so in the strictest sense she was a bit more than human. But the very obvious physical differences of Kyna and Rowan made hers insignificant comparatively. Her only slightly pointed ears were easily hid behind her waterfall of red hair.

Born into a proud tradition of Magicians, Aidan hadn't really ever thought of being anything else in life. It was almost a given that she would train to be a Magician. Her brothers and sisters were the same.

And it wasn't to say that she disliked her life.

Far from it.

She had always had a passion for the use of magic. She expected that she would have been asked to succeed her tutor and teacher for the court position as Magician of the entire Isle.

But her knowledge of the Games and her superior skill had instead brought her to here. Thousands of miles from her beloved home and family.

They didn't even know the boy they were being sent to and already they hated him for what he had taken away from them all.

"Well...it's very...golden..."

Leave it to Kyna to try and find something nice about this barren wasteland.

"Like dead fields," Rowan retorted as they looked beyond the flourishing banks to the waves of golden sand that stretched to the sky.

"Even the water," Aidan pointed out as she looked over the edge of their vessel. Indeed it was a murky yellow color...perfectly monotone to the rest of their surroundings. At least the captain of this vessel--who had taken this path often--said that the water did clear up the further inland they went.

"How can anything live here?" she asked as Rowan caught a glimpse the large horses grazing at the shore. Though they weren't horses. The large hump on their back--an obvious difference they had never seen before.

Rowan tensed again. Raising a hand, he pointed out over the water.

"Do you see that friends?" He asked, his voice betraying his astonishment.

Miles from the bank stood a structure against the golden sands. It was easily larger than anything the three Celts had seen before in their entire lives.

"It's huge!" Aidan breathed, leaning heavily on the rail as if it would help her to see the structure in more detail. "Bigger than anything I've ever seen before outside the Shadow Realm...at least..."

"The Elves have never created something like this."

"Nor the fae," Kyna's lilting voice added.

They watched the towering pyramid as the boat drifted lazily past. Such structures could only be the work of magic! No one could build something so large without it.

Much discussion was raised that night at the evening meal about the huge structure: what it was, how was it built, who had ordered it.

The captain of their vessel and her crew did their best to fill in information they knew of.

As far as they knew the former pharaohs of this land had ordered those large temples to be built. The bodies of past pharaohs were placed inside along with their families and the things required of a king, things he would need in his next life.

As to how, the three were appalled--but not really surprised--to find that slaves had built the entire pyramid, stone by stone. It had taken years, but there were many in servitude here. If a slave died, it was of little consequence to these people. There were always others to take their place.

Kyna and Aidan had both been exposed to slavery, but nowhere near the level that was being described here. Rowan had not even known what a slave was until they had stumbled upon some being sold at a port near Rome. He had never heard of such a ridiculous concept as that. Why would they be necessary...certainly these people deserved more than to know they were owned and could be killed for the slightest transgression?

Slavery was not common on the isle...what use would there be for so many people to be under your command...how would a household...or even a clan take care of them all?

This land must be huge then...it's population far vaster than all their lands combined.

If nothing else, this trip would be a chance to see something no one else in their kingdoms had ever seen before. Perhaps, when the pharaoh tired of them they could spend some time learning about the buildings and how they might be created in their own lands.

Out the port windows that night they could see the evening stars about them...and marvel at the differences from their own world.

It was only a day until they would be presented to the ruler of this land of endless sun. The Pharaoh of Darkness...Yami.

* * *

**TBC**

Ehe...well...I wasn't sure where this even came from when I started it...and I don't know where it's headed yet. So expect parts to be added in a SLOW fashion if at all...all depends on my interest/free time/reviews and your interest.

The idea may seem a bit cliched but...give it a chance...I'm definitely trying to take it in a different direction.

Soooooo comments, questions, praise, flames...anything you'd like to throw at me?? Please do so now...


	2. New World

Disclaimer: If these characters were mine...there is no ends to the improvements I could make on this series...but alas it is not so think I have to contend with improvements via fanfic...hope you enjoy.

Notes: I don't think all the "cards" looked the same back in this story...rather that the ones Pegasus created were based off of the Pharaoh's and High Priest's decks...which would have been recorded in history while other decks would have never been preserved in any way. So being a "Mystic Elf" didn't always mean you looked anything like the character on the card. Kyna, Aidan and Rowan look like the cards because they presumably are the ones Pegasus bases the cards off.

Comments are always welcome.

* * *

**May it Be**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

"Mornië utúlië (Quenya: 'Darkness has come')

Believe and you

Will find your way"

-excerpt from 'May it Be' By Enya, LoTR Soundtrack

* * *

The next day dawned bright, clear and hot as the many days before it had. The morning mist on the river was burned away before the sun had even begun to rise. Sounds of sluggishly moving water slapping the hull and the distant cries of gulls on the shore greeted the day crew and her passengers upon rising.

"Fair winds and good waters have brought us within sight of the capital. If there is any luck, we will dock before the sun reaches the halfway mark."

"Thank you captain. Your swift boat and excellent crew have surely played a part as well. You have our thanks," Rowan's formal speech was expert, but genuine; testament to his abilities as an ambassador as well as a swordsman.

Kyna and Aidan both bowed formally, offering sincere thanks for the speedy journey as well.

"We'll be docking shortly, you might want to prepare for a formal greeting. A skiff passed by earlier and is relaying our arrival to the city. Most likely there will be an escort for you to the palace."

Aidan nodded shortly, lips in a firm unhappy line. All the sooner would they be reaching their "doom".

Having made decisions about the heat and its effects, the three had spent much of the sea voyage to this far foreign land, remaking their formal garb. Thick wools, made for winter storms were replaced with lighter linens, more breathable and less clinging in some respects. Still, it was more clothing than they had donned in some time.

Kyna was by far the simplest to dress. Even if her clothes were elegant and far from practical. A long green dress, cut carefully below the shoulder complimented her pale blue skin perfectly. The white headdress and accents took seconds to put on and only a few minutes to adjust to perfection. Long blonde hair tumbled down her back in an almost straight wave to nearly the floor. She was a textbook example of a "Mystic Elf" indeed.

Aidan was also quickly ready to go. Magician's of Faith were journeymen of sorts. Much of their profession was spent in travel and their formal clothing reflected that practicality. A loose pair of billowing pants, dyed deep red violet, tucked into comfortable--if slightly ornate--ankle boots. A long shift that acted as both a shirt and a skirt covered that in an indigo color. A thicker hood pooled around her shoulders. Tying the shirt to her body was a long rope, cinched at the waist and holding a dangling, intricately carved talisman at each end.

Her bright red hair was pulled up high, and the three stones that hung on her forehead--a sign of her rank and station among Magicians. The ornately carved staff with its half moon--her only other adornment.

Rowan on the other have used his own personal army to dress. The poor elf had more buckles, straps, layers and trappings than half of the boat did. By the time he had managed to get it all on and had draped the thick indigo cape over his back, they were nearing the center of the capital and the elf looked even more imposing than his original height and build made him.

"Look...this must be the capital!" Kyna's sharp yet obvious statement brought the two others to her side to peer at the city before them. They were right to assume it was large, but to have it confirmed took their breath away.

This city spread for miles!

Thousands of dwellings, barely distinguishable from the sand around...and the people! Even at the crack of dawn there were more people bustling about than there were in the most crowded areas of the Nile they had seen so far. Even more people than the cities of Rome, which had impressed the three ambassadors to no end. Every possible culture and type were present. They even spotted a few monsters and magic duelers among the ordinary humans.

A shadow passed over the elves and magician, blocking the sun for a moment. Chasing the shadow's heels: an impressive gust of cool air and the heralding, unmistakable cry of a dragon. Not terribly common in the realm, the whole of the crew shielded their eyes to get a better view of the huge beast overhead.

"Is that a Blue Eyes!?" Aidan's astonished voice called out. Indeed the creature was large enough, easily surpassing the Kamori dragons that frequented the coastlines of their own lands.

And when the creature banked, heading for easily the largest structure in the city, they could clearly see the blue-white almost iridescent scales, massive wings and the tell tale rich blue eyes of the legendary creature. The most rare of all--the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Magnificent!" Rowan breathed in obvious enchantment.

"It looks like it was heading towards the palace?" Aidan was surprised.

Dragons were generally difficult to train and even with such training, were impossible to control completely. They were wild creatures. She knew of only a few dragon charmers far to the inland on the mainland and had heard of only a few more that were known to reside near Jerusalem.

"Most likely returning to his master. It's said the High Priest has a deep affection for them and traveled the world till he collected the last four in existence." The captain and the three ambassadors watched with awe as the creature landed with the grace of a bird.

"No one's ever seen more than one at a time though."

Rowan nodded his head and gazed with hungry eyes towards the palace. Perhaps this wouldn't be as horrible a trip if he could get to meet a Blue Eyes. Perhaps even live with it...if indeed they were to be housed in the palace. This day was looking better by the minute.

Certainly theirs were the largest ship to dock that morning. And apparently the most interesting as well. Many merchants, commoners, women, men and children alike crowded on the sands, peering up at them curiously. The three youngsters felt like they were on display at an auction house.

The captain assured them that their bags, light and practically empty would be delivered to the palace. A page from the court had boarded immediately once they were moored on the beach bringing news that an escort was awaiting them. The pharaoh was eager to meet them and had been awaiting their arrival for the whole of a week.

The time had come to say goodbye to another leg of their journey.

"We can't thank you enough captain. Your hospitality and abilities have far surpassed our expectations." Aidan bowed low to the short pilot of the vessel. Rowan and Kyna bowed as well, as if to the king of a noble court and not a simple seaman.

"You three are most welcome. If you ever are returning to your homeland, please feel free to journey with us."

"Thank you," three voices chorused.

With a nod and waves to their traveling companions of the last month, the three new ambassadors strode down the gangplank and to the waiting horses a few yards from the beach. The creatures were delicate compared to the huge workhorses from the homeland but it was obvious that they were well bred and strong.

A boy sat atop one of them, thick black hair sticking out and hanging down behind him to nearly the waist. His clothes were that of a priest, recognizable to anyone even with little cultural knowledge of the land. He seemed rather young. A peasant helped Kyna to mount sidesaddle while Aidan and Rowan only required a leg up.

"Greetings ambassadors and welcome to the High Kingdom of Egypt. I trust your journey was safe and pleasant?" the youngster asked.

Nods greeted his question.

"I'm Mokuba, a priest of the Horus temple. I've been instructed to bring you to the palace as soon as possible. His Royal Highness is anxious to meet you."

"So we've heard," Rowan replied.

"Shall we?" The boy gestured with his hand and expertly reigned his horse around. The others, all skilled riders followed. The mass of people parted like grass in the wind.

The journey passed in a blur and Kyna was quite sure they would not be able to find their way back to the shore without help for quite some time. There was just so much to take in. Within the hour they were approaching the tremendous palace walls.

"You seem a bit young for a priest Mokuba. Are all in training for the priesthood in this land so young?" Kyna's voice was curious and pleasant, pitched to help ground her against the massive changes going on around them.

The boy smiled impishly back, looking all the more the child he probably was.

"I AM really young to be in training I guess. My parents were both killed when I was very young...perhaps four or five summers old...and to keep me from starving, my brother took us to a temple to beg for food. They took us both in and fed us in exchange for our help in the temple. My brother was really good at the arts of magic and the ways of politics so they asked him to become a priest. He agreed but made them promise to make me a priest too...so we wouldn't have to be separated. Now he's the High Priest of all Egypt and the Pharaoh's closest advisor."

Kyna nodded at the open statement while taking note of the political infrastructure. A priest seemed to be as much an administrator as a religious leader here. A bit like the fae courts she noted.

The young boy peered up at the elegant elf with cobalt blue eyes filled with eager curiosity. "Is it true?"

Kyna turned and smiled quizzically down at the boy.

"You all are players of the Shadow Games?"

Kyna's brows drew down slightly but she smiled all the same. "Yes, we are all well versed in the Shadow Games. Most magic users are trained in case they are ever forced into combat in a Game."

"It sounds like you don't like them much...the Games." Mokuba's perceptive voice interceded as they dismounted within the ornate gates. Servants and slaves ran to help each rider down and to take the horses. Before they had even gotten there however, the three had dismounted on their own.

Rowan who had been silent for most of the ride stepped forward. "No young one. Very few wish to participate in the Game of Darkness that is held in the Shadow Realm. Fewer consider the feelings of their warriors when they send monsters and magic users to do battle for their amusement."

The child contemplated that for a moment before movement across the vast courtyard drew his attention. The somber mood disappeared instantly. A wide smile crossed his features and he was off like a shot, sandals beating into the dust.

"Seto!"

A taller young gentleman in fine robes of white and violet smiled a bit sternly from under a rather official looking turban. Bending slightly at the knees, he was well prepared for the young boy who launched himself at his older brother.

Rowan smiled at antics that were so frighteningly similar to his own at home. Perhaps things were not as different here as they seemed.

"That was rude Mokuba, our honored guests deserve better than that." They could here the quiet voice chastising the overzealous boy gently. The child didn't seem to notice, thin arms firmly clasped around his brother's neck.

"But I hardly see you anymore Seto...I miss you..."

The young man stared deep into his brother's eyes for a moment. In that sapphire gaze, Aidan was sure that no one else in the world existed except for the two brothers.

"I know...I'm sorry...you know I'm busy the country isn't easy..." he replied, voice trailing off into a weary sigh. His eyes skirted away from the younger boy's.

A tiny unsatisfied nod that was anything but sincere was the young boy's reply.

The child suddenly squirmed out of the older's embrace and leapt to the ground as if realizing they had an audience. He turned, and adopted a stage voice that couldn't quite hide his excitement about his brother's presence.

"Brother Suethek, High Priest of all Egypt, may I present to you the ambassadors of the Celtic Kingdoms. Kyna, Mystical Elf of the East. Aidan, Saint Magician of Faith from the Southwest. And Rowan, Celtic Guardian Swordsman of the North."

Each bowed as was custom in their land.

"I welcome you to the Kingdom of the Gods. And I apologize for my younger brother's rudeness. I do not see him often enough, but it is no excuse for him to forget his duties."

"Not to worry. Were we in our homelands, that would be the normal as opposed to rude," Rowan's voice was warm and friendly.

Blue eyes that bordered on being hard, but never quite reaching the ice of the ever winter smiled gently as he led them past ornate pillars and through vast corridors. It was obvious he was leading them towards the throne room. The halls became more ornate and lavish as they walked.

Mokuba trailed at his brother's side and if it had been possible Kyna thought the boy might have clung to his brother's leg as they walked.

"What may we call you sir? Your brother introduced you as Suethek but called you Seto." Kyna's voice was quiet, pitched for a court and she seemed to meld in quite well despite the obvious distances between her own court and here.

"My brother and friends refer to me as Seto and you are welcome to as well ambassadors. Suethek was the name I was given when I became a priest. It is nothing more than a formal title."

"It would be an honor then to call you by your familiar name." Rowan smiled, warm red-brown eyes seeming far larger on his face.

They paused before a large door, guards lining either side with stern expressions and menacing looking weapons in their hands. The young priest explained how the next few moments would go.

"You must be introduced formally within the court and to the Pharaoh. I don't believe you know much of our culture but the Pharaoh is a God incarnate in the lands of Egypt. Tread carefully and speak sparingly now--it will be easier to avoid offending him in a manner that might require punishment. There will be time for more informal discussion with his Highness later."

"Your valuable words will be heeded. Many thanks for the warnings; we will do as you say." Aidan's words were crisp with the nervous atmosphere.

Seto clutched an odd looking rod in his hand a little tighter before nodding. "I will go before you and announce your arrival. Enter as one group, bow with your title. Answer any questions as truthfully as possible. He will know if you are lying. I think that's all you'll need to know for now. Good luck."

And with that, the priest and his younger brother slid inside the doors and just as it closed, they could see Seto purposely striding towards a raised dais. The three were left alone for a few moments, ears trained for the cue to enter.

* * *

"Good luck?" Rowan spoke incredulously as he straightened his gear on his shoulders.

"Indeed. It seems like we might need it." Kyna's voice sounded more foreboding than usual.

"For what Kyna? Seto seems nice enough, him and his brother remind me of my own family. Perhaps this leader will be nice as well."

"Perhaps..." Aidan cautioned as they straightened to attention.

Lined in front of the door, they could hear a slight squeak and then saw a steady line of light grow as the doors were opened for the three ambassadors.

Silence reigned.

Staring ahead of them, not risking a glance to either side, the three Celtic warriors strode forward in calm unison. They kept their eyes focused on the dais for the first glance at their new leader, the person they would now bow down before.

He was unusual to say the least.

Smaller than they all had expected.

Much younger as well. Not much younger than themselves, perhaps even the same age.

His bearing was regal but they expected no less.

He was skinnier than a beanpole but more than made up for it with such piercing eyes. They were violet--an unusual color--that bled more towards the color of blood near the edges. Intense, Aidan decided. None of them could really describe the boy's hair. It seemed to defy description...

As was typical with the people here it seemed, gold plated bands on the wrists and around his neck only emphasized the fact he was royalty. The crown, half hidden under thick blond bangs bore the symbol of an eye and left no mistake as to who this boy was.

Again, formal bows, different for each of the ambassadors as their titles were recited. Quite boring this formal court life seemed Rowan noted.

"Do you play the Game of Darkness?" His voice was a bit dark, contrast to their image of him.

"We are all well trained in the Shadow Game your Highness. It is required of all those who are born with the ability to." Rowan sounded like he was holding his tongue about something else. Probably a retort on the game's dangers Aidan decided.

"Good. Before the night is over, you will demonstrate your abilities to me in a duel."

With that, it seemed to be over.

Before the night they would risk their lives in a Game.

* * *

**TBC**

Working on making the ends more dramatic...eh...

Thanks for Reading!


	3. Battle

Disclaimer: My wallet is certainly telling me that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! and if you would like to see (lawyers) where all my money went you can stop by the Tufts and Museum School book/art stores to see where all the money I made this summer went...

Author's Notes: I am FAR from an expert on the game. I've only helped my little cousin attempt to play with Japanese cards and am not fully aware of all rules. Therefore I have taken the liberty of changing things to fit the needs of my story (such as how I believe Trap and Magic cards would be used if there were no cards). Consequently Saint Magician Aidan is going to have a bit more power than she gets in the game and series, as is the Mystical Elf and several other players in this and future Games. This episode is also going to be influenced by ideas proposed in the 13th and 61st-63rd episodes of the anime series basically stating that cards kinda don't always listen to the person in charge of them (AKA the pharaoh).

Lots of notes...sorry this took a while to get out...writer's block is difficult to kill at times.

Comments are always welcome.

* * *

**May it Be**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

Mornië alantië Quenya: 'Darkness has fallen'

A promise lives

Within you now

-Excerpt from 'May it Be' LoTR soundtrack

* * *

The three new ambassadors spent the morning at court. Not the most exciting way to spend the morning Rowan decided, but they were now diplomats aside from their roles as Game players. This routine was something they would have to adjust to.

Today he decided he would need to learn to stop fidgeting. Guards would give him sharp anger filled looks almost constantly about the matter.

Endless bureaucrats came in and out, some arguing important issues like the economy, laws, and the plight of this king's people; others to settle petty disputes about land...which Rowan found rather absurd. The sand here was useless for growing, what mattered if you had a few more leagues of it than not?

And then there were the leeches. Scum bottom feeders whose blatant lies and false platitudes dripped with deceit. They had been present in their homeland as well. Kyna looked particularly murderous about this group.

Something Rowan would find hard pressed to associate his placid friend with.

The boy king however, seemed to deal with them much more decisively.

Almost brutally.

It was as if...he could see straight through them. His ringing condemnation of their words and the harsh punishments he dealt out spoke of something more than hardened leadership.

It almost spoke of magic.

How else could he know the heart of these people who bowed before him so well?

Magic was definitely apparent in this court. If the Dark Magician standing imposingly off to the side was any indication at least. A Game Player as well. But obviously also an advisor to the young Pharaoh. Thick violet hair hid sharply defined blue eyes made more startling because of the nearly non-existent pupils. The imposing cowl, heavy large shoulder guards, and the body length staff held expertly in hand only helped to define him as one of the strongest spellcasters in the known world. He seemed a decent enough person by the way he nodded towards them and spared a small, if somewhat reserved, smile for the three.

When the sun reached its highest peak and the heat seemed unbearable, court was recessed and the three ambassadors were excused to prepare for the Game they would play in the early evening.

Walking through the palace provided to be a relief more than drudgery. Halls were more space than marble walls, with huge arching pathways and plentiful windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. The air, though hot was anything but stagnant as it blew through the arches. Fine tapestries depicting stories and histories littered the walls and they were pleased to find fountains and amazingly enough a green garden out one window.

"I know where I plan to train in the morning..." Rowan whispered almost ecstatically at the sight of real grass and even a tree...though it was nothing like the ones at home. A palm tree someone had called it.

"You probably won't be alone," Kyna smiled.

Rowan, Kyna and Aidan were led to a separate wing of the palace, far from the pharaoh's rooms they were sure, but obviously where most of the Game players and magic users lived.

All three ambassadors and the servant leading them bowed formally to a wizened, refined and elderly Lady Priestess of Faith who seemed to glide down the hall despite the elaborate headdress that weighed on her head. Kyna remembered the woman's kind smile to each of them. One that spoke of understanding of their mixed worries and anger about this place.

The rather odd Gilfar Demon however seemed to sneer at them. But perhaps that was an unfair statement. Gilfar Demons were always sneering.

Their rooms were larger than the ones at home...but then Rowan decided anything would seem bigger after sharing your room with four brothers and several large Newfoundland dogs. But--to be honest--winters were cold in his land.

Two beds, duo desks, bureaus and chairs were all that were provided, each hewn from a piece of rock the same color as everything else here. Golden yellow.

So he was to have a roommate here. Perhaps he would cram in with Kyna and Aidan instead.

The lone window overlooked the sand in one half and the edge of the city in the other. True to the seaman's words, a small satchel containing his worldly goods was sitting on the soft bed, even more worn looking against the finery surrounding it. After a quick but thorough check of the room, which revealed nothing of great interest, Rowan went in search of his friends and perhaps a decent meal.

What he didn't expect was to run into and imposing if slightly built wall of violet.

Automatically Rowan backed up and bowed low, custom and courtesy demanding such actions. What a lousy way to make an impression on the first day. "My pardon kind sir. It was my error. Please excuse me."

"All is forgiven. It was partially my error as well...was it not?" A quiet voice interceded.

Well, Rowan decided...this was an interesting development.

The Dark Magician from court was looking rather sheepishly at him. His voice was quiet and obviously abashed.

Awkwardly they stood facing each other for a long moment until the young Magician held out a hand. "I am Mikel, Dark Black Magician. I welcome you to the land of the Undying Sun, Rowan of the Celts."

The elf took the outstretched hand happily and shook for a few seconds before pulling apart.

"Might I ask what you were doing coming from my room?" The Magician asked, his quiet voice at odds with the power he could wield.

"It looks like it is my room as well. At least this is where I was told I would be staying. Is that unusual?"

The young man shook his head in the negative, light blue eyes contemplative.

"The Pharaoh cannot build quarters enough for all the monsters that he has collected in such a short span of time. It is not unusual for monsters and magic users to share a room. But I have never had a roommate before, most of those here tend to stay away from me."

Rowan looked confused. He hadn't seen anything that would validate shunning the young man in front of him. The Magician was quiet, almost shy, but nothing on the order of evil or unfriendly. It wasn't as if Mikel was responsible for their presence here. That had been decisions far beyond their power to control.

And while he was still furious about having to leave home to come here, he had resolved to make the best of it. So that when (not if) he returned home he would have great stories and good friends to tell of to his family.

Perhaps this was a good way to start.

"You'll have to forgive me Mikel. I'm a bit lost. Would you mind showing me around a bit. I would like to find the others and get a decent meal before the Game. I don't plan to die. But one can never be too careful."

Mikel smiled wryly at that. A sentiment felt by all those who played the Game.

"I would be honored Rowan."

And with that they turned and strode down the hall. Intent on finding food and the two young women whom he had traveled with for over a year.

Their room was no less different than his own, simply in another hall. The wing was slightly smaller but not unusual; the belief that men made stronger players was not unique to their own land.

Introductions were made and seeing as Kyna and Aidan were to share room they agreed enthusiastically to a tour of the facilities and to something other than the bread they had eaten for the last few weeks aboard the ship.

It was then, striding down the hall and listening to the Magician's explanations of how the day typically went for most Players that the world shook beneath their feet.

Two staffs and one sword were out from ready to attack capabilities within seconds. Kyna, the only weapon-less member of the band brought her hands up defensively, spells of any needed sort ready on her lips.

Down the hall, no more than thirty paces from Kyna and Aidan's room there seemed to be a great deal of smoke, black and acrid. A door--charred and smelling distinctly of burnt wood and fire--lay against the opposite wall. Useless now.

The smoke was billowing from the doorway and four sets of eyes warily watched the entrance to see who might emerge. If this was an assassin seeking the pharaoh, it was the clumsiest and soon to be the very unluckiest one to date.

A cloud of smoke burst from the room and shook furiously--apparently to dislodge the thick soot and dispel the remaining fumes.

"I'm alright! No big deal! I'll get it right this time...I promise..." A decidedly female voice declared. A quieter muttering followed that very confident sounding statement. "And with any luck he'll never know about this..."

They could make her out (for there was no doubt it was a female figure) now...blonde hair...finely dusted with charcoal, light skin...apparently untouched by the beating of this land's sun and a nearly powder blue uniform that now looked a bit muddy completed the ensemble.

Mikel--at the first word from the stranger's mouth--loosened his grip on his staff and allowed himself an indulgent, childish eye roll. His shoulders slumped in a manner that suggested that this happened far too often for his liking and he held up his opposite hand to stall an attack by any of the newcomers.

Aidan and Rowan exchanged looks that clearly stated, they thought this new acquaintance had spent too much time in the sun. Why would anyone stand down an attack with such a threat still present?!?!

"It's alright. I know her." The young man's voice was pitched to them, low and barely audible.

Raising his voice and putting more force behind it than they had heard from him so far he addressed the young woman trying best to decide how to clean up.

"What exactly won't I know about Skye?"

The height the girl jumped would have been comical had she not looked so apologetic and near terrified.

"Mikel!" She sketched a hasty bow and smiled a bit too widely. "I was simply practicing a few new spells...one can never stop learning you know?"

"You also know that you are not supposed to attempt those spells without myself around to keep things like this," he gestured to the smoldering door, "from happening."

"I apologize sir. It will not happen again."

"See that it doesn't." The Magician seemed to consider his words for a moment before his posture softened slightly. "You're not hurt are you?"

Guiltily, the youngster looked down. "No my brother..."

Relief filled his eyes and he allowed a small smile to grace his face before he gestured to the three young Game Players who had stood down their attacks and were looking curiously at the two Magicians, so very different from each other.

"Ambassadors, may I present to you my apprentice, Dark Black Magician Skye...my youngest sister."

Skye bowed and smiled to each of them as the two female members of the trio did the same. Introductions were short and only consisted of names and not the flowery titles they had attached normally. Rowan introduced himself with his own usual gallant and slightly embarrassing flair. Bent knee and all...

Aidan managed to suppress a snicker...but only barely. Kyna was smiling serenely, but also on the knife-edge before laughter.

It was quite some time before they made it to meal. The laughter definitely contributed.

* * *

The Dueling Stadium was certainly the largest and most elaborate the three ambassadors had ever been in. Ornate carvings depicting fellow monsters littered the walls. There was a raised dais for the moderator of a match that would require such. The stone throne, fit for the king of this land.

Heavy pillars circled the arena and two platforms jutted out over a large pit, with the markings meant for the placement of magic and traps as well as places for each of the Game Players to stand.

If only this was going to be as simple as a game with stone tablets. But they would play for higher stakes this night. The Pharaoh wanted to test their skills, determine whether they were worthy to join his deck.

They would battle it out in the Shadow Realm and the Game of Darkness. Failure would most likely involve death during battle.

Flanking the Elves and human--now dressed in their battle gear--were the two Magicians they were acquainted with. A Silver Fang Wolf known as Kamots paced agitatedly in front of them, and the Gilfar Demon was watching everything with an extremely wary eye from a perch somewhere above.

A Gaian Knight of the Gale, Summoned Demon Skull, and an impressive golden scaled Curse of Dragon were behind them. Rowan could not keep their names straight or in his head. A Kuribo, small and furrier than a hairball glided through the air at Kyna's side.

She had to wonder what good such a small creature could do, but chided herself for her narrow view. She herself was not an extremely powerful Player per say. But her abilities were hidden. Kyna had a feeling, this little monster would be an important key in their battles.

Aidan looked keenly at their supposed commander and chief. The boy pharaoh was calm, almost flippant about this. His eyes were focused on the platform across from them and bore into the High Priest Seto who was standing at the ready. She didn't quite know how to react to that.

"They are rivals." Her sharp blue eyes met the almost too bright green of Skye's for a second. "They believe that they are the only two worthy opponents of each other in the whole of the world and the Shadow Realm." She shrugged at the ridiculous notion. "They are friends, if you could call rivals friends...but constantly one attempts to beat the other at games. It is a complicated relationship."

"Indeed."

"But I believe he wishes this to be an exhibition match only. If we are lucky, it will not escalate into a full-fledged Game. The pharaoh was so interested in your arrival that it is doubtful he would want to lose you so quickly."

Rowan smiled nervously and his voice sounded slightly strained. "And that's supposed to be comforting?!?"

A warm ripple of laughter passed through the entire group at that.

Mumbled words from above drew their attention and each player tensed in their own way as the dark, unnaturally moving shadows moved around them.

The entrance to the Shadow Realm.

Rings of sand and blocks designated for places disappeared and in their place rose the landscape of a wasteland. Trees, long burnt and half-buried in sands. Land dying in bogs of foul disease infested water and flat planes of fine dirt.

"Summoned Demon...attack mode."

They huge creature moved forward with a surprising amount of grace and stood ready to attack, calm eyes focused on the land around him.

This game of preparation went on for some time, neither player making any real move, simply strategically moving magic and Players into place. Aidan and Kyna found themselves in defensive positions towards the center of the field, while Rowan was clutching his sword in an offensive position alongside Mikel and Skye.

A few of the others who had come with them were not on the field, but pacing further back as reserves, waiting to take the place of fallen players and those who would need their help.

The knight of the Gale was to make the first true move of the Game.

A shrill cry from his mount and the creature charged forward, the lance cutting down the lizard across from them with violent accuracy. He blocked, and they grappled for a long moment until the knight managed to inflict a serious slash that incapacitated the lizard.

Both retreated from the battle.

The High Priest pulled his monster back to relative safety and something far more powerful took its place. A huge creature from a distance; this one Mighty Blue Eyes dwarfed all of them so close up.

Mikel's voice rang to each of them. "We need to power up with magic, Kyna?"

Her eyes closed but serene, she nodded once and almost immediately she began to chant, bringing magic to the field. Aidan could tell that Mikel could also feel the powerful magic being laid down in wait by the Pharaoh.

It was obvious they were going to attempt to strengthen him. His card, at the moment was the most powerful on the field. Rowan moved to defend Kyna, but it was obvious that the Gaian was in far more danger. He was the furthest from them, exposed and alone.

The Blue Eyes didn't hesitate.

The knight did not either.

The sound of electricity on the wind that screamed past their ears and the call of a horse split the silence of the realm in half.

Aidan was already holding her staff out, preparing to conjure something to bring him back when something pressed against her arm-—distracting her. A closer inspection showed the silvery hair, cold black nose and wise golden eyes of Kamots. He was obviously telling her to be patient in his own way.

That patience was rewarded when they could here the Pharaoh call out in a voice strong with power... "Be Reborn Gaian Dark Knight of the Gale!" And in a flash of light, the man and his steed were standing before them all.

He wisely retreated.

"We've used up one of our resets...I can only conjure one, possibly two more Reborns at the most. Be careful all." Aidan warned the others. She was powerful, but the particular powers of rebirth were difficult to control and draining.

Mikel nodded. "You heard her everyone. We must move quickly."

Kyna's voice was still chanting.

Magic was brought to play and was just barely enough to break even. The battle would end in stalemate if they were to attack now.

Rowan stepped in front of Mikel, purposely bringing his sword up into defense.

They could feel the furious eyes of the Pharaoh on them. "What exactly are you doing Guardian Swordsman?"

"We must protect the Dark Magician my Lord. He is quickest way to the end of this battle."

Kamots strode to the red-eyed elf's side. He also stood defensively in front of their unquestioned and semi-appointed leader. And before anyone had time to argue the point further a furious roar and the sounds of a gathering thunderstorm that could rival all gales was all the warning of the impending Blue Eyes attack.

Kyna's shields burst to life all around them glowing and inscribed with highlights of the runes of the Celtic languages, far different from the hieroglyphics they found everywhere in their new home. They pulsed with a rhythm all their own, bluer than anything made by the hands of man, almost matching the luster of her skin.

"Holy Barrier!" Aidan's staff was raised and it glowed bright in this dark land as the shield was strengthened again, then tested against the bright burning flame of the Neutron Blast.

Every head was bent into the wind and staffs were raised to ineffectually block whatever might get through. Over the roaring din, they could barely make out the orders of the Dark Magician. The pharaoh was forgotten for the moment. They would need to act quickly and there was no time to wait for orders from him.

"As soon as it's down, power him down with the Spellbinding Circle! After that, everyone on attack! Ready?!"

It didn't really seem like they had much of a choice unless they wanted to be fried to a crisp so most nodded, getting a better grip on their weapons.

The terrible roar died down and they rushed forward as a coordinated unit, though they barely spoke, and several of them had only met each other hours earlier.

Whether they knew it or not, this was as the Pharaoh had planned to make things work. He was upset with their lack of interest in his approval but pleased with their cooperation and powerful movements. They worked as a unit almost flawlessly. The three new Players worked hard and fought well, using their strengths and recognizing their weaknesses. Fine additions, all three of them.

But the question of their obvious disobedience and casual loyalty irked him.

Down below, the thoughts of partners and investments of Players in decks were lost on those in battle. Each player fought with everything they had...they had to. What other option was left open to them?

The Kuribo at one end of the field fell and Aidan revived it without thought.

Rowan landed hard on the ground, barely missing the crushing blow of an ax wielding oxen and blocking it with his sword. The impact shook his arm so hard, he nearly dropped his only weapon. Another was coming at him and blocked them both with his sword.

At least Mikel had managed to disable the Blue Eyes for a few moments. Though the young Magician was drained and the trap wouldn't last forever. They needed a more permanent way to ensnare the creature.

Things were looking to drag out for some time until a call rang out in echo across the wasteland.

"That is enough. You have proven your skill and worthiness ambassadors. You are excellent players. This Game is over. You will be allowed to stay."

At the ringing words of the boy king, each player had slowed and then stopped, incredulously staring at him. This was the King of Games speaking?

A Gamer renowned the world and Realm over for his ruthlessness and drive in battles? Who was currently calling off their battle? Something must be wrong!

But the receding Darkness and the way the ground reverted back to sand and drawn out borders said otherwise. The injured lizard from the first game move, gingerly moved forward as his comrades began to tend his wound. Kyna rose wearily to her feet and Mikel was leaning rather heavily on his staff.

Aidan wobbled a bit, but managed to hold herself together.

All the Players watched the two figures, now on the platform above stare each other down. Then they were both whirling away and gone, striding from the chamber as if dissatisfied and pleased at the same time.

Rowan and Aidan's tempers flared briefly but they were all too tired to argue or fight.

"Congratulations ambassadors."

The three Celtic warriors turned to regard Skye who was gently supporting her brother without seeming to do so.

"You just survived your first Game with the King of all of them."

Rowan stared at the platform over them.

"Great."

No one could tell what he was thinking.

* * *

TBC

Kamots means 'To Be Free' and is a tribute to a wolf I sponsored through The Wolf Education and Research Center. This is also going to be a bit of a theme as we go in through the story...

Archeological evidence suggests that the Egyptians were aware and had the ability to produce electricity in the form of crude batteries. Though they did not understand any of the mechanics or chemical basis behind the matter...

I don't know when the next part will be completed...my time is very limited now that I am back at school, criticisms, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now!

Thanks for reading.


	4. Heart

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine...save my DVD's and my idea. Don't sue. It will only stress me out more.

Author's notes: Sorry bout the bit of delay. I didn't know how to start this, and then all of a sudden, midterms. Ah well...despite all that I'm happy with this. And I finally nailed down what separates Kyna and Aidan in personality. So if you are familiar with Miyazaki, Kyna is more like Naussica and Aidan more like San from Princess Mononoke. Both characters are extremely strong female leads; they just have different approaches to problem solving.

I was listening to a lot of old school Santana while writing this (to combat some of the crap on his new album) so there's some kinda angry stuff goin' on here...and sap...don't know how that happened.

Oy...and during animation I've been doing these little spot illustrations from this story to take a break from my short film that is eating my life! I'd love comments on what you think about them. They're mainly quick five-min. sketches that I did originally to get rid of the extra watercolor I would build up on my brush to paint a

Comments are always welcome!

* * *

**May It Be**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

"...May it be

The shadow's call

Will fly away..."

-Excerpt from 'May it Be' LoTR soundtrack

* * *

It was well into the early evening when they had sorted each other out from the Game.

The Gaien Knight of the Gale offered a hand to Kyna and she took it gratefully. Shields like those she rarely conjured. They were draining but should not have been so taxing and only served to indicate a severe weakness in her training. Golden green fire glowed in her serene eyes; for herself she would have to improve. For the rest of them she would need to improve. Now that they had stopped travelling for the foreseeable future there were no excuses for not returning to the stricter and more taxing practice routines she was known for.

One simple match, regardless if it was against a Blue Eyes White Dragon should have left her ready for more. Not ready for a nap.

"Thank you Zuberi," she nodded kindly to the tall knight. Dark chocolate brown eyes from an equally dark skinned face sparkled warmly at her.

"My pleasure young lady. You are a skilled warrior. You should be proud of such expansive progress in so short a time." His voice was warm, deep--accented thickly--but understandable. She guessed his age close to thirty or so, not much older.

"Proud that I didn't let them fall I suppose. I am in dire need of practice."

"Do not take this too seriously young one. You did well." He reiterated.

By this point they had reached the dorms, conveniently not very far from the dueling arena. The older gentleman lowered his arm respectfully and Kyna was proud to find that she could stand and move under her own power without tipping over.

"I believe you might just be humoring me good sir. But thank you for the escort none the less. Have a good evening." She genuflected slightly, as was custom.

"Rest well young ambassadors. We will see you in the morning."

"Thank you."

Kyna watched the tall gentleman stride off, the reigns of his huge violet stallion casually draped in one hand. Turning she waited as her friends both new and old strode down the hall.

Rowan and Skye were both supporting Mikel. For a moment she was afraid that something more serious than exhaustion had overtaken the powerful Magician. But closer inspection revealed no bleeding wounds or damage of that sort. Rowan caught her eye, and nodded confirmation to suppositions.

"Not much further big brother...you can sleep soon."

Mikel however, managed to draw up a murderous glare for the little imp of a girl who obviously had mortally wounded his pride.

"I'm not an invalid Skye. I can do just fine on my own. Besides, reports must be written for his Highness."

She cheerfully ignored the comment as the two of them helped him in the door of their room and deposited him on the bed. Aidan followed closely behind, not wanting to crowd a situation obviously under control but also worried about the young Magician.

In her arms was the furry Kuribo from earlier, generally making a pest of himself in his eagerness to both get a ride and to check on the condition of his friend. Kamots walked slowly besides her, a warm line against the side of her leg as his thick fur brushed against her.

"Cole. STOP! You'll get a chance in a moment. Be patient."

Kamots agreed with a snort aimed directly at the ball of fur.

The Kuribo would have none of it though, and leapt boldly and rather violently from her body to the bed next to the formidable Dark Magician. Aidan retreated slightly to the door, as did Kyna. Rowan joined them a moment later, leaving the two siblings and the Kuribo with a moment of privacy.

"I almost wish we were still travelling," the large elf commented as he surveyed them both. They were dirty and in need of baths and sleep.

"Our days were certainly less exciting then." Aidan and Kyna both let out sharp barks of laughter at that.

"I'll escort you back, but perhaps we should wait for Skye to finish? It shouldn't be long. He wasn't badly injured, just tired out."

"We'll find our way back on our own Rowan, no worries alright?"

"If you're sure," the young man replied uncertainly.

"In the morning I'm sure you will thank us," Kyna supplied. "We will see you to break fast and train."

"Good night to you both then," Rowan smiled gently as the two women bid the Magicians good evening before they strode down the hall towards their room, the large wolf trailing behind them.

* * *

Skye gently but firmly forced her brother to remain sitting on the bed as she helped him out from under his large headdress. He was as stubborn as a dragon at times. In particular when he didn't want to admit he was in need of help.

"You don't have to do this little imp. I'm not that bad off. Certainly not the worst we've ever faced."

He hadn't caught the hardened look glazed in her emerald eyes. She wouldn't meet his as she moved around the shadows lost by torchlight. So it was impossible to note the too bright sheen and almost liquid that the young woman refused to let fall.

The blanket in her hand was twisted violently and nearly forgotten as she pivoted to face him.

"That's not the point..." and only then did he realize she was on the verge of tears. He tried to stand, but that only seemed to make her more upset as she surged forward.

"...You could have...you almost..." and here she paused to force her breathing to even and calm, "...you're my brother Mikel. You are my only family! And you didn't care if you died trying to stop Ceruleus...all you cared about was doing what He told you to do!" She spat the name out with great anger.

Mikel had only been allowing her to come to Games for a short time. She was a relative novice, though her skill was at times anything but. Controlled grace signified her moves and she was a fair judge of when to use that power she wielded. But she was young; barely fifteen and he had been afraid for her safety. In some ways he had known she was not ready for the complex politics and caste system that surrounded the Games and most of this society. She was naive.

It was unfortunate that she could not remain that way forever. The sweet little sister that loved the clouds and made up adventures based on their heavenly shapes.

"That's enough Skye." Mikel's voice was dangerous even when weakened and sitting he managed to project power. The Kuribo skittered towards the end of the bed nervously. He could sense the human's magic and the tone that meant heated argument. "The Pharaoh has done much for us, he cares for us more than any other Game Leader out there...it is our duty to help him...you know..."

"No!"

It was the first time she had ever interrupted him in his explanation so vehemently and it surprised him enough that he was dumbstruck for a moment.

"If he really cared about us, he would seal the Realm. He would call us his equals. He would KNOW what the Heart was! It isn't our duty to die for a Game! We shouldn't have to fight our family and friends...I shouldn't have to lose you! Our parents should not have had to die! Politics and complications are an excuse! We should DO something! Why do we have to keep doing this..."

Mikel had no response. But his azure eyes spoke volumes. Of regret and of apologies for things he did not have the power to change. Once he had been so idealistic. It hadn't been that long ago.

Her bright green eyes looked miserable and slightly resigned. She hadn't really wanted to upset him further. "I'm sorry Mikel. I know the way things are. I know how hard it is to change them. It's just..."

"I know little imp," he replied quietly in a voice filled with something she couldn't decipher. He did understand what she meant.

Dredging up a smile that only faltered slightly she reached out and enveloped her older brother in a warm hug. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes imp," he murmured gently into the thick blonde hair. "And if not...I've got Cole here and a new roommate to take care of me eh?" She could feel the gentle teasing in his voice return. He must not be that tired then.

Cole leapt into the conversation at this point figuratively and literally, having decided that the argument was over and he had been ignored for far too long. Trilling and cooing up a storm as if proving he could watch over Mikel more than adequately.

"Take care of my big brother alright Cole? Don't let him out of bed or anything okay?" Skye winked at her older brother. Got the upper hand again. Cole might be a 'lowly Kuribo' but there was no way he would waver in an appointed duty.

"Very cruel my apprentice imp. You've learned well...a bit too well..." the young Magician grumbled from his position.

"Good night Brother, I will see you in the morning for drills...and no earlier..."

She sketched a short bow to him before heading to the door where Rowan had just recently reappeared. "My lady. May I escort you back to your room?" Rowan gallantly held his arm out much as Zuberi had done for Kyna.

Mikel rolled his eyes as she accepted and they moved from the door down the hall. When Rowan returned a short time later, he had managed to change into less formal garb and was sitting with a book in front of him. Every so often he would write what he could surmise of the battle. Cole sat curled on his lap between the book and his chest warming his legs that were crisscrossed underneath.

"Your sister is amazing. Quite young for a Gamer, isn't she?"

"Her skill far outweighs her age...and her naiveté, despite that stunt you saw earlier this afternoon. She's an overachiever."

"Aren't we all?" Rowan asked rhetorically which earned him a warm chuckle from Mikel. Slowly the burly elf removed his armor and changed into a simpler garb. A large tome and writing implements appeared from his bag and he set down at the desk to write of his adventure so far.

"May I ask what you write of?" Mikel asked curiously from where he sat.

Cole stirred from his place and ambled over to look at what the new Player was doing. Seeing nothing of interest to him other than a remarkably similar reflection in Rowan's half polished armor, the Kuribo wandered back to his responsibility.

Of course not before investigating his look-alike for a good five minutes.

"I am recording the highlights of my time here as ambassador. When I return home, I will wish to let my family know of all that has happened. If nothing else it will be an entertaining bedtime story for my children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. I am liable to forget it all if I do not record it in some way."

Mikel looked at him carefully. "You plan to return to your land at some point then."

"Yes. It is my home." There was a deep pride in those words.

"I have not traveled far from this land before. My parents emigrated from the east when I was very young. What is your island like?"

Rowan set the pen down and turned eagerly to his new audience.

"Well...it is far more green than this land, every shade imaginable...and water flows from everywhere..."

They talked far into the night of their respective homes.

* * *

Seto fiddled idly with the end of his now ruined cloak as he strode towards his personal chambers and the bed that lay there. He would finish the last of those documents up and would be set for the next day at that.

The cloak was a total loss he mused irritably as he noted the large piece that had been ripped off. He had been careless and stupid.

Ceruleus might be his most loyal and trustworthy Blue Eyes but it did not mean that the Dragon did not have a temper. He hadn't been watching or paying attention and the great beast had snapped at him partly out of fear. One of the first rules he had picked up at the Keep was never to approach a dragon in their blind spot. They had extraordinary hearing and often acted first, recognized later.

He made a mental note not to mention that slip to Wen in his next letter.

It had not caused injury and the beautiful dragon had been extra gentle and subservient after he had realized exactly whom he had snapped at. Seto had lingered to reassure him it was alright, small hands rubbing the towering snout for a good twenty minutes while he apologized as well.

You respected a Dragon and it would respect you. Something else he had been taught by the Keepmaster.

His personal chambers were empty, or at least he thought they were.

Curled fast asleep on the bed, with a set of parchment lying in still fisted palms lay Mokuba. Surprise lit the elder's features. His little brother had been here all this time?

The Temple clerics would not have mentioned it; Mokuba often spent time at the palace. So much so that the Pharaoh had given Mokuba a room of his own so he could spend the night in a bed. He probably didn't know that Seto did not mind sharing it with his younger sibling. It reminded him of earlier years when they were together nearly constantly in the Temple.

Something he did must have set off bells because the little boy stirred and opened cobalt blue eyes in the dim light.

"Seto!" Despite his obvious near exhaustion the child clambered up and across the bed to hug his brother. "I wanted to wait up for you to come back."

"You didn't have to little brother. I warned you it might take a while. Exhibitions can go on for hours. And I had to bed down the Dragons."

"I know," he replied and by the tone it was obvious that Mokuba thought he was being babied.

"You know? Do you?" A heavily teasing tone entered the older boy's voice and Mokuba's eyes widened in playful fright. It was all the warning he got before he was swept up and tickled mercilessly. Laughter echoed in the once stagnant room for a good few minutes before Seto allowed his brother to get away to sit next to him.

They didn't need to say anything; words between them had never been really necessary. Brothers never really needed them.

"What were you reading?" Seto inquired quietly, ignoring the voice in his head, which said that affairs of state came before the welfare of a little boy. He got to spend so little time with his brother nowadays. Work and responsibilities could wait.

"We're studying the death rituals! Did you know that they have to eat the..."

It didn't even matter what the boy said or that yes he had also been made to study the same texts years earlier. Seto basked in the one time he could feel normal and relaxed. Aside from his time with the Dragons it was the only time he spent simply being himself. He regretted not being able to stay that way forever.

Being a parent on top of brother was hard to balance. He was never sure if he was being the right one at the right time or in the right amounts. Seto was pretty sure he was messing it up despite all his trying. There wasn't a chance in all of Egypt that he would give it up though.

It was nice to know you were loved and depended on so dearly.

Attentive and doting, the older brother indulged his younger until they were both too tired to keep their eyes open. And even when Seto had leant his brother a large tunic to sleep in and had changed himself, Mokuba refused to leave. They lay next to each other in the bed for a good while until the younger of the two finally nodded off, fighting tooth and nail the whole way. Cool blue eyes stayed awake for far longer, watching the even breathing of his only living family and letting the calm rhythm obliterate the dark, shadowed thoughts and anxieties that plagued him more often than not.

And when he finally did sleep, he dreamt of only harmless, warm memories.

* * *

Breakfast was an event in and of itself. A hall styled for dining with cavernous high walls and ceilings stretched nearly the length of the palace.

The meal was simple, but Rowan did not want a whole lot to eat. It was mercifully early as well, cooler and more comfortable than it had been the whole of the previous day. Training would be a little easier then.

Conversation was fast and furious; Aidan--per her usual--was in a heated argument with an Ancient Elf from the Norselands about the merits of Fusion spells. Kyna was also in close debate with Skye about something or other, though their conversation was a bit more subdued. Luis, the rather imposing Summoned Skull was politely conversing with him about life across the expansive sea. Such a different way of life. He wondered how the large monster had gotten all the way here.

The page slipped in and out of the crowd until he found their table. It wasn't very difficult to locate them. Luis' extensive height left an extensive tip off to where they were. The young gentleman tugged on Kyna's robe gently.

Her golden green eyes looked down.

"His Highness would like to speak with you in private Ambassador."

"Now?" The tone she used was confused but not upset.

"Yes Ambassador."

With a philosophical shrug she rose gracefully and weaved her way from the hall.

"Wonder what that was about?" Aidan said, from where she was watching.

"Sometimes, I believe the young man who leads this nation has a desire to be more than he already is. He searches for the Heart of this Game we Play. I believe he feels less intimidated when speaking with newcomers about it."

The Ancient Elf had responded and they gave it little thought after that. If they didn't hurry, the opportunity to train outdoors in the cool weather would be gone.

* * *

Kings of all Egypt were not supposed to be nervous. He was not supposed to be nervous. The young man stood again from where he had been sitting and began to pace, ten to the window, turn, ten to the door, turn, fifteen to the balcony, turn and another twenty to his original position.

And why exactly did he have any need to be nervous!? He spoke to Mikel daily about affairs in the Kingdom. He commanded one of the largest and undoubtedly best group of Shadow Game Players ever assembled. Mystical Elves were common in the Realm. Though he had not met many, they were certainly not as rare as Mikel or his sister were.

A knock and the rustle of wood as the young ambassador was led in.

"The Ambassador and Mystical Elf Kyna, as requested my Lord."

He nodded to the young boy cowering very slightly and the child escaped through the door like a shot.

Kyna watched him go with a bare tilt of her head and a serene smile on her face.

"How may I be of service your Highness?"

He felt short. Regardless of the fact that he was nearly a foot shorter than her, he felt short. She seemed to project calm wisdom despite her young age of twenty-two summers. Unbidden, memories of his mother came to his mind. Vague hazy feelings and half-remembered visions of the same calm. Despite the many years since her passing, he suddenly felt the loss again as deeply as if he were still five.

"You are settling in well?" He inquired; crimson eyes focused on another point in space feigning indifference in tone and look.

Kyna regarded him slightly annoyed. "You do not seem to care one way or another my lord. But yes. We have all settled in and your accommodations are acceptable."

"And the other Players, you have met them?"

"Yes."

He nodded, eyes still not betraying anything as he lazily moved about the room. Much like a foolish wolf that had nothing to fear or care of Kyna noted. She had the distinct vision of Aidan whacking him upside the head with her staff if she ever had the opportunity to see him like that. It was hard to not feel the same.

"I wished to speak to you on the subject of your associate's loyalty. Particularly that of the Celtic Guardian."

"With all due respect my lord, you might then wish to address your questions to the ambassador. He would be more than willing to answer your inquiries."

He whirled on her at that, and she saw surprised to see a bit of fire in his eyes before it vanished under that regal detachment.

"But you are here. And I believe that you are more qualified to speak on the subject," he continued without allowing her to protest. "Do you trust him? Has he ever betrayed you? And will he ever do anything to harm me or endanger my status in a Game?"

Indignation was the first thought to flare through all of her being and she forced herself to relax and detach herself form the situation before replying. Aidan might have gone off the handle at such a comment but then again the Magician wasn't famously known for keeping her cool.

She strode to the balcony doorway, turning her eyes towards the rapidly brightening sky before speaking.

"I would trust Rowan with my life, as I would Aidan. I would trust any of your Players, even Cole with my life. As to your other inquiry...no. Rowan has never betrayed me, I could not conceive of the idea. He would not endanger your status in a Game unless he felt it was in our best interests to do so."

He was looking away from her, slanted crimson/violet eyes looking a bit embarrassed and chagrined at her obviously heated tone. She shouldn't have been able to do that. He was slightly angered by it.

"Do you not know the Heart of the Game my lord? Do you ask this of all who Play for you? You would have no need to ask if you did."

This seemed to catch his attention and there was little to contain his fury as he responded. He nearly exploded from the chair and came to stand beside her angrily.

"I KNOW what the Heart of the Game is! Don't presume to think you know more than me Ambassador. I am the King of Games! You are a Player. You'd do well to remember that."

Green eyes sharply focused on his. They were angry, but controlled, saddened as well. He was so sure he did know. She could sense it.

And yet the boy looked so lonely, and questioned everything around him. Rowan had been doing what he thought was necessary to end the duel safely. So that a new friend might not be hurt. This boy king could not understand that.

"You claim to know the Heart of the Game and your Players my Lord." Her voice was sad as she continued. "But how can you know the Heart of your Players, when you don't even know their names?"

He fired his response back at her, angered by her audacity as well as her question.

"I know Mikel."

She countered. "What is his sister's name?"

The young man went silent.

"Do you know where Cole got his name from? Or that Rowan has more nieces and nephews than anyone I know? Did you know Mikel's sister loves the clouds? Or that Zuberi's wife is with child? Did you know that when you requested me from my court that I was engaged to be married?"

"No." The young man felt very small again. The pharaoh of Egypt, before a simple ambassador from some far north savage land.

"That is where the Heart of the Game lies, where the Heart of the Player lies. If you do not know this..." she trailed off the ending of the statement already implied. "It goes both ways as well. We know nothing of you. I don't even know your name. I doubt that it really is Yami, quite unusual to be named Darkness."

When the young man again did not respond, the Mystical Elf turned from her perusal of the others as they trained below in the courtyard.

"If you are finished with your questions my lord Pharaoh I would like to practice my Magic a bit before court. I was rusty in the exhibition match and am in need of training."

He nodded very faintly but seemed very out of sorts. Like he was considering what she said. Or wrestling to fix it back into his current philosophy, Kyna could not tell which.

She bowed low as was dictated and strode for the exit of the room.

"Atemu."

Kyna paused and turned back to the Pharaoh. "My Lord?"

"My name. It is Atemu."

She smiled faintly. It was a start. "Thank you my lord. May the day grace you with good news."

Kyna slipped out the door, leaving the boy king standing alone in his chambers.

* * *

TBC

From a side story I want to explore at some point about how exactly I think Seto got a hold of four Blue Eyes. Wen is short for Wen-Draco and is the name of the Dragonmaster who taught Seto how to handle the most feared dragon in the realm. But first...to finish this thing!

-Zuberi means strong in Swahili.

-Luis, named for my dad! Spanish/Portuguese form of Louis

-Cole-story behind that later

Ehehe...sorry...our herois gonna be a bit of a bastard for a while. It's a part of the story, and seems more real to me if he evolves into this terribly sweet guy who anyone would want to follow/date/know (insert noun of your choice).

Soooo comments, criticism, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me??? Please do so now!

Thanks for reading!


	5. Life

Disclaimer, Still not mine after all this fruitless writing? ( Tis sadly the truth...)

Author's notes: Sorry about this taking so long, real life has definitely hit me over the head for the last few months. And I had a lot of problems getting this one started. I am going to change the title of this fic but I'm still debating over what. At the moment I've been sticking around A Still Verdictless Life but I don't really like it either. Suggestions are welcome.

Many thanks to petite-hikari for her encouragement galore!

Comments are always welcome.

-- translations of the lyrics --

* * *

**May it Be**

**By Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

"...May it be

A journey on

To light the day..."

-excerpt from 'May It Be' by Enya LoTR soundtrack

* * *

Someone was nudging him. As it was still dark behind his closed eyelids, the body was not nearly willing to get out of bed to face another day.

"Get up...fish don't catch themselves you know. And there is cornbread for breakfast. Soon to be gone if you do not get up or are so late that you must skip the meal to get to work."

The voice was deep and old, but not unkind. He was well aware that food was all that was really required to motivate the young man from his palette.

Indeed the blonde hair stirred underneath the thick blanket and presently two half-lidded brown eyes were visible. "Really?"

"Mara prepared them last night after we went to sleep. Now up!"

And with that the old man yanked the blanket away before the boy could grab it to warn off the dreadful pre-dawn chill. A shrill cry of protest could be heard from several houses away.

Grumbling and wiping hazy sleep from his eyes many minutes later Katsuya stumbled into the small but bustling kitchen/living area. He was slowly pulling down the simple linen shirt he wore over the loose, ripped and cropped pants he usually preferred. By mid morning he would discard it in favor of simply the pants but it was cold now.

An older plump woman was moving around pulling things to and fro in a dance that he didn't really understand. Preparing the meals and the washings and other things. The old man who had taken him and his sister in was sitting at the table, eating in an unhurried manner.

A little girl with long thick brown hair was slipping in and out of Mara's path, alternately helping and playing with a bit of string tied to a leaf as if it were a bird. His young sister seemed unaffected by the early morning and the cold. Yanking playfully on her hair he scrambled around the table before grabbing a large hunk of the cornbread.

"Brother!" She shouted indignantly. A sudden well-choreographed chase occurred, as Shizuka wove expertly around Mara's bent over form and sprinted on thin dirty legs out the door into the yard after her brother.

The yard was nothing special, mostly consisting of a small garden that grew some of the house's vegetables, a sandy dustbowl where the two children often spent time drawing patterns in the dirt. To the far end (relatively speaking of course) were several small low built mud abodes housing two chickens and her brother's prized golden orange Baby Dragon, Gambit.

Her brother was messily shoving a too large bit of the loaf into his mouth and his brown eyes sparkled with mischief. He knew all the buttons to push to get his younger sibling riled. Still chewing on the bread thickly, he expertly reached into the makeshift coop pulling out three eggs and leaving a few behind.

Shizuka quickly held her hands out, despite the running match they had just been engaged in, to take the eggs for transport. That was HER responsibility and she took it extremely seriously.

"Sorry Shizuka," he apologized as he placed the three into her grubby hands, "only three left! Guess you won't get any today!"

Her foot stamped on the ground sending a bit of dust up between her bare toes. "You're lying big brother. I know the hen laid more than that; I checked!"

"She must have stepped on it or something since you checked; these are all that's left!" he teased mercilessly.

"No she didn't!"

"Yes she did!"

"Nope, you were wrong then."

"NO I WASN'T! Mara!!! Katsuya's lying about the eggs from the chickens!" She spun and raced back to the hut's entrance smirking in triumph. Mara would fix it.

The woman's warm, heavy voice drifted out the door to the young man who was coaxing out the rolly-polly dragon of orange scales and blue eyes.

"I suppose if this is all the eggs that we have today, then they will have to go to the first to rise, like the rooster!"

That got his attention.

"Mara!?!? That's not fair!"

The wise voice came from inside the door again. "Then you better find that extra egg the hen stepped on."

Shizuka poked her head out of the door and stuck her tongue out at him, smirking.

"You!!!" Katsuya rushed her quickly, a smile on his face as he swept her up in his arms spinning them both so Shizuka's legs were parallel to the ground. She shrieked in delight as she flew through the air. The old man passed them at the door and Katsuya promptly plunked her back on the solid earth.

He raced back to the coop, grabbed the fourth egg--which had been there all along of course--and dashed back into the house. Seconds later he burst back out with his large straw hat, sandals dangling from his hand, another piece of bread in his mouth and his free hand waving his dragon to come.

Shizuka had already proceeded to the low wall that circled their yard and scrambled up on top, where she received a hug from the old man who was more father than her birth one had been. A quick hug from her brother too, who had to drop all of his possessions to do so.

"Love you sis, seeya tonight."

"Love you too. Catch big fish!" she called as he strode down the avenue towards the river, and the boats they worked on. Long dark shadows in patches of clear morning light wove the street and its early morning vendors together. She wandered after them for a few yards before becoming bored and heading back to the house. Mara would need help with the washing today, which meant getting very, very wet!

* * *

"BLACK HOLE!"

"CROSS SOUL!"

"Shift Change!"

"Magic Jammer...Magic Remover!"

"And...Hand Obliteration! Jar of Greed!"

With a final chorus they finished the work up. "Change of Heart! Destruction Ring! Monster Reborn!!"

"Good," Mikel called from his place in line near the center. His eyes narrowed and bright blue bored into a distant target with a viscous strength born of battle hardened necessity. He raised his staff to ready.

"Again."

She wiped sweat out of her eyes, cursed the already sweltering heat viscously and moved back to offensive.

This intensive drilling of magics went on for nearly a tic of the sundial before the list of required spells had been exhausted to their full extent. Kyna lowered her hands as serenely as the shaking limbs would allow her to; but it was a struggle. A workout such as this was exhausting, yet left her feeling refreshed in spirit at least. A perfect counterpoint to the frustrating conversation, confusing emotions and actions of the young Pharaoh. The warm burning in her limbs cleared her of her anger and destructive thoughts.

She sat quietly upon a low bench, serviceable but not intricately decorated like the ones in the formal palace. Probably just as well, as it was also obvious that some errant magic and physical attacks had busted the bench into several pieces on numerous occasions. With little true physical prowess, she was always exempt from these trials of skill with blades and staffs, swords and sleights of hand.

Aidan however, though she was physically nowhere near the strength of even the lowest warrior Player, stubbornly insisted on training with them. Kyna suspected it also had to do with the fact that she had three older brothers, all reasonably accomplished Magician's of Faith in a magical sense, but stronger physically than her. Aidan had confided tales of endless good natured bullying, rough and tumble fighting, chasing them everywhere they went in an endless attempt to be as old and as amazing as them. Regardless of the fact that she was very often eliminated in the first rounds of battle, she looked at it as having at least tried her hardest.

Her opponent ironically was Rowan, and they traded smiling insults with each other as they spread out and circled each other before drawing their weapons into ready positions. Her staff was gripped loosely across her front, the waning moon symbol at the head flashing in the golden morning light. Aidan was light on her feet, her small size would hopefully give her an advantage against larger more brute Players.

Rowan was idly swinging his sword in his hand--childishly spinning it--as if he didn't already know its every detail and nuance.

They danced and parried until Rowan suddenly sprang forward, metal meeting metal with a dull resounding clang. This metal on metal continued for a few more minutes until Aidan was simply overpowered and pushed down to the ground.

"Not bad Aidan, you totally avoided my uppercut. How?!?"

"You feint right consistently when you plan to do it. A pattern." She scrambled to her feet. Bright blue eyes showed disappointment but no bitterness about the loss as she made her way towards Kyna slowly. Rowan meanwhile was bowing to his next opponent, an imposing Soldier of Stone.

With an impressive flop she landed beside Kyna and leaned back against the marble walls.

"How are you?" Kyna asked.

"Fine. Frustrated as usual...but fine."

Kyna made a soft noise of agreement in the back of her throat. Her green eyes were more distant than usual.

"How did it go with the Pharaoh earlier? What did he wish to speak with you regarding?"

Kyna did not meet Aidan's eyes as she spoke, rather looking straight ahead. It was unusual and slightly disconcerting.

"...It was not the most pleasant way to start a relationship. I am sure I broke more rules concerning ambassadorial duties than there were possible to break in a single meeting."

Astonishment fell over her companion. Kyna was known for her calm under stressful conditions of any sort. Her face obviously betrayed her thoughts.

"I yelled at the Pharaoh."

"You what?!?" the red head hissed though it lacked any real malice; if it weren't so serious it might be comical.

"He yelled back at least," Kyna added ruefully.

Aidan couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her struggling-to-stay-straight face. "Over what?!?"

Kyna's rueful look only increased and she nodded indicating this was not the time.

"He questioned our loyalty."

Her audience did not reply but the narrowing of her blue eyes was enough to indicate that she was indeed paying attention to this now more serious conversation.

"Rowan's in particular, but it was obviously meant for all of us. My attempts to get him to confront Rowan himself led to the fight."

"What about? His Game decision? We would have won, he knew that, even if he himself did not utter the orders."

"It was more than that," she turned her troubled eyes out over the crowd. Thin blue hands played with the hem of her robe as the sounds of physical combat splashed around them. "I argued with him about the Heart of the Game. He was furious to say the least. He is arrogant and sixteen; to him no one is more right. As was true of us not so many years ago. And who knows in this land; he is considered a god incarnate. Perhaps he has never been told no before."

Aidan was furious and it showed in her posture. "He has no right to question us! We are ambassadors, we were more than that once; we still are! Who does he...I will personally beat him into the ground. Are we nothing but dogs to him? To be locked in cages when we do not come as called? I am no dog and I will not be treated as one."

"Aidan!" her friend said sternly and though she had not shouted her tone was far more effective. "Stop it," she chided though without the parental sting it could have carried. "The Pharaoh had a right to question the loyalty of someone he doesn't know well, which at the moment would be us. I disapprove of how he went about it but you can't tell me that it wasn't totally unprecedented."

The red head slumped back. "That does not excuse his attitude towards us Kyna."

"He has lost the Heart of the Game Aidan." Her voice was forlorn. "Or perhaps he never knew what it was, though I lean towards the first explanation. I wonder what it was that forced him to become so closed off. It was obvious that his anger was genuine but there was something else there. I cannot tell what it was but...it was genuine as well."

Aidan considered that for a moment. "More than likely, whatever closed him off also brought him to the throne at such a young age. Sixteen is too young to run a household let alone an empire."

"Perceptive as always Aidan; despite that temper." Kyna teased.

"And that is what separates us from dogs, now isn't it."

Kyna smiled more openly as they watched Rowan and Zuberi go at it with a great deal of relish.

"What is on the plate for the day? I caught some of what Mikel was discussing with Bruck, the Soldier of Stone, but not everything."

"Apparently this is a day much like the last, though for some reason there will be no court after that for a few days. I got the impression this is out of the ordinary."

"Perhaps the Pharaoh will not be present?"

"Maybe, but why the secrecy? To avoid assassins is one thing but won't his absence be just as noticeable if not more so?" Aidan questioned. Kamots had come over and was flopped in the shade of the wall panting heavily.

"Though it is common for peasants to not see the Pharaoh for weeks on end, I would have to agree that his council would find it odd. And those are the men that can be trusted the least." There was venom in the last sentence from Kyna.

"Perhaps that is the point. To draw out those who seek power and wish to rebel."

"I don't feel that is the case. We have heard the rumors of the spread of the Shadow; I would not be surprised to see it in this court."

Aidan straightened again. "You think he might not be aware of the danger?"

"It is possible. In any case, I have felt ever since I left home that something is coming. A change, though for better or worse I cannot say."

The weight of that statement hung in the air, and despite the bright sun, cloudless sky and seemingly perfect day Aidan could find nothing to counter or lighten the statement. She would be lying if she didn't admit that she also had felt this vague uneasiness since leaving the Isle.

Fortunately the choice was not really left up to them as Cole came bounding over to them. "KURI!!!!" It trilled loudly and gestured wildly to the arena before them. Indeed, while they had been speaking, the warriors had been eliminated down to the last two. Rowan and Mikel were preparing for the final assault on each other.

They were silent but relaxed. Rowan brought his sword up to his forehead and Mikel did like wise with his staff. And with no more preambles they were off.

Since this was the last battle of the morning, they found themselves surrounded by spectators. Aidan and Kyna dropped their darkish conversation and rose to join them. They had friends to cheer on.

It was obvious that Mikel was well liked among the Players hear. Those cheering his name were many. But it seemed that Rowan had made an impression as well. Both of them were cheering, of course, but he had accumulated a small group of his own.

The two seemed oblivious to their onlookers. Pulling very few of their punches, close observers could see their competitive streaks burning brightly. Zuberi winced visibly when one of Rowan's hits with the broadside of his sword connected solidly with Mikel's side. Even with the heavy armor the Magician wore, it had to hurt.

The cheering was a mix of catcalls and the shouts of Duel songs. Despite the fact that they lived as members of wildly different homelands, Players had a rich culture all their own. One that all knew, no matter where they had come from originally. Their songs, customs and ways were universal, but at the same time separate from those who could not play.

"Nâ aumâkua iâ ka hina kua, iâ ka hina alo.

Iâ kaa âkau i ka lani."

--Guardians spirits to my back, to my front.

To those in the northern position of the heavens.--

Rowan cursed in his native tongue, a dialect of Gaelic but incomprehensible to Kyna and Aidan. Mikel had blocked a very devastating blow of his.

Throwing back his head, Zuberi and Bruck chanted loudly, adding their heavy claps and stomping feet to the melee.

"E ulu i ka lani.

E ulu i ka honua."

--Allow growth in the heavens.

Allow growth upon the earth.--

If one could call Kamots howling, singing, his "voice" was surprisingly clear. Zuberi's eldest son, who often came to watch practices, shouted the words from his father's broad shoulders, dark brown skinny arms waving wildly in the air.

"E hô mai i ka ike

E hô mai i ka ikaika."

--Grant us the knowledge

Grant us the strength.--

Boring of simply calling for their friend's victory and caught up in the excitement of the battle both Kyna and Aidan joined in with shouts and claps for the last verse.

"E hô mai i ka ikepâpâlua.

E hô mai i ka mana!"

--Grant us the foresight.

Empower us!--

But in the end, it only took one blow from Mikel to win the day. The Dark Magic Attack landed less than a foot from Rowan's feet and left a black scorch mark where it had once been smooth dirt.

"I believe that," he paused to suck in a tired breath, "is the match Rowan."

Both of them doubled over in exerted exhaustion. It had been a difficult battle.

The crowd hushed expectantly.

Rich, though tired laughter rose from them both and they stood with a shoved effort on their knees. Clasping arms at the elbow in the universal gesture that it was alright. They were both smiling and it was easy to see that the two men were becoming fast friends.

A cheer went up from the crowd as they swarmed around the two for only a few moments. They all had duties and other responsibilities looming on the wavering horizon.

Only Cole noticed the skinny and spike haired figure watching them from the balcony. He couldn't really tell, but the Pharaoh looked a bit left out, forlorn crimson eyes absorbing the scene with something akin to hungering envy. Before he could go up and investigate further however, the young man was gone, passing by several stone-faced guards who turned and followed their leader.

* * *

The early twilight brought a blessed relief from the sunny heat, and found Katsuya and several other fishermen on the shores and docks near the Nile hauling in their catches for the day. The reed boats that belonged to the old man and himself were beached on the sand, but the nets filled with the fish and refuse from the great river Nile still needed to be pulled ashore, sorted and set out. To be strung up for the sales tomorrow.

Ten able bodied men were holding parts of the net and as they pulled together the strains of an old song reached those still bustling around the shore, mixing together with the shouts of vendors trying to rid themselves of the days perishable goods and the haggling of bargainers.

"_Well, the high sheriff_," a sharp pull from all hands in semi unison.

"_He told his deputy_"

Pull.

"_Want you go out_," Pull, "_and bring me Lazarus_"

Pull. The net moved slowly with its distended weight. Pull.

"_Well, the high sheriff_"

Pull.

"_Told his deputy_"

Pull.

"_I want you go out_," pull again, "_and bring me Lazarus_"

Pull. Pull.

"_Bring him dead or alive_,"

Pull.

"_Lawd, Lawd_"

Pull.

"_Bring him dead or alive_"

Finally a bit of progress as Ra bathed everything in golden oranges and crimson red; blue violet and heavy magentas. Shadows grew as the great disc died again.

Pull.

"_Well the deputy_," Pull, "_he told the high sheriff_"

Pull.

_"I ain't gonna mess with Lazarus"_

Pull.

"_Well the deputy_," pull again, "_he told the high sheriff"_

Pull.

_"Says I ain't gonna mess with Lazarus"_

Pull.

As the fishermen worked hard, struggling both in and out of the river now so the nets would not tear, others rushed in and out of the marketplace.

In particular a young man with a large basket, nearly the size of his body strapped to his back. He was dressed slightly more formally than the fishermen, his clothes not torn but clean and well worn none the less. The plain almost kilt-like skirt common in its simplicity. Sandals covered small feet and a very young looking Kuribo was perched on his shoulder.

As for his hair, it was neatly wrapped under a turban-like arrangement concealing all but a few stray wisps of black and blonde hair.

Though he looked to be no older than the children, he moved expertly in and out of the stalls, and open cloths spread on the ground, stopping from time to time to barter for certain things, bread, vegetables, roots and herbs, meats and some strange looking powder.

All of it was carefully wrapped in cloth before being placed into the basket. With each purchase he would slide it off and on with practiced ease. Slowly, enjoying the comfortable evening he wove his way to the docks. Katsuya and his father would not be leaving for several hours so there was no need to rush.

After spending the entire day tending to sick Koke birds and checking on feisty recovering dragons, the market and its mostly human population was a welcome change.

_"Well then the high sheriff,"_ Pull, "_he told Lazarus_"

The young man could hear the singsong chant from yards away and slowly made his way across the shifting sands, mindful of his important bundles in the basket.

"_He says Lazarus I come to arrest you_"

Pull.

"_Well the high sheriff,"_ Pull, "_told Lazarus_"

Pull.

"_Says Lazarus I come to arrest you_"

Pull. Most of the nets were on the sand now and they were beginning to sort through the refuse and divide the fish for stringing. They still sang as they went though. In the same swinging rhythm.

_"And bring ya dead or alive_

_Lawd, Lawd_

_Bring you dead or alive"_

Gambit noticed the boy first from where he was perched on the edge of a dock watching them. He had sat, and was dangling his feet above the place where the Sacred River melted into the golden sands.

Men carrying pitchers of river water, yokes on their back and long poles strung with glittering silver black fish passed by making the dock vibrate slightly under their weight.

"_Well then Lazarus, he told the high sheriff_

_Says I never been arrested_

_Well Lazarus, told the high sheriff"_

The Baby Dragon tumbled over himself in his haste to say hello, leaving the fish and its bones behind on the sand. The young man smiled as he held out his hand. This Baby Dragon had been under his family's care after being abandoned in the streets a little over a year ago. For whatever reason, the Baby had survived long enough for him to discover him on the way to make a house call with his grandfather.

But since he already had enough Monsters and strays in his keeping, his grandfather had insisted the boy find a new home for the stray. That was where Katsuya had come in.

_"Says I never been arrested_

_By no one man_

_Lawd, Lawd_

_By no one man"_

Katsuya and his family had been providing them with fish for years and the young man had become friendly with the fisherman's adopted son. With a little begging on both of their parts they had found Gambit a new home.

"Hello Gambit," the young man laughed and scratched the orange dragon behind his head much like a cat. "How was that fish hmmm?" He asked conspiratorially though he didn't expect an answer. The dragon's blue eyes seemed to sparkle in response none the less. The Kuriboh had leapt off the teen's shoulder and was currently inspecting Gambit with a great deal of curiosity.

_"Well then they take old Lazarus_

_Yes they laid him on the commissary gharry"_

Since the two Monsters were now completely absorbed in the inspection of the other, the boy could turn to the water and the men sorting the days catch.

Waving a frantic hand until he got the attention of one particular sandy haired young man he smiled broadly.

"Katsuya!"

_"Well they taken poor Lazarus_

_And the laid him on the commissary gharry"_

The man in question knew that voice and shot to a standing position to get a better view of the surrounding area. Scanning quickly he picked out his friend with little problem. His skin was tan, but had always been two or three shades lighter than anyone else's. And his wide-set amethyst eyes, that only helped to make him seem like a child, were smiling.

_"He said my wounded side_

_Lawd, Lawd_

_My wounded side"_

"Hey Yugi!"

* * *

TBC

Ahehehe... ;;

Yugi WILL NOT be a slave in any way shape or form in this fic...just needed to get that out.

So there are two songs in this that I need to accredit for at least excerpting.

Nâ Aumâkua

-This is a Hawaiian chant, and a bunch of these will probably show up since I don't have Tolkein's skill to create a whole new language for the Player culture. I edited out portions of the chant to save time.

Po Lazarus

James Carter & The Prisoners

(O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

-This is from the opening sequence of the film, and it's a great accapella piece, with everyone using sledgehammers in some of the places I put pull. I recommend that as listening material during that last part. There were things cut from the song to avoid sounding too technologically advanced (ie. shooting Lazarus with a gun).

Sooooo comments, criticisms, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now!

Thanks for reading!


	6. Culture

Disclaimer: still not mine...still woefully in debt...about to be more so...

Note: I am sorry for not updating this...I never abandoned it but real life did get in the way. This has been sitting in my head for a while, but as the manga (which I take to be the most canon of the series) was wrapping up and I was interested in letting that play out so that I got a name for our once nameless hero and had a rough idea what Takahashi wanted the tone to be. Now that he's done that...I can go back to my mediation on culture and war...which is really what this is about. Hopefully it's interesting/entertaining too...

Also I am throwing this out with very little revision or betaing...I am in the process of going through the story and tightening up the beginning of it.

Comments are always welcomed.

* * *

**May it Be  
**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

* * *

_"...When the night is all gone  
You may rise  
To find the sun..."  
_

_-excerpt from 'May it Be' by, Enya_

* * *

He didn't really like where they were at the moment. High and exposed like this, it would be easy to see their relatively slow moving caravan for miles. A perfect target for any number of roving bandits and robbers.

And yet it couldn't be helped. The Koke birds were tired, and every man was only lightly armed; they were losing daylight quickly and this far up the mountain there was still a substantial amount of snow clinging to the path which hindered any other real direction but this. If they could even call it a path.

He knew it was used by traders mostly; his father had insisted he memorize and take the route, as it provided the only safe passage through this remote area of Persia. But as everyone knew of it, it also attracted those who sought whatever was being traded.

The last few birds, bearing a rider or two and mostly supplies, finally crested the hill.

Most of the men were silent and looked haggard. They had been pushing forward for the past few days at a breakneck pace. No one wanted to be here longer than necessary.

But the wind was picking up and they needed to stop.

Honda Hirotoor as he preferred, simply his family name Hondawas glad when one of his scouts came racing up on a lanky bird with a very bright crest of red on its head.

"It looks like there's some level ground and cover about a half league along the path. Well used, and probably a good place for the night."

"Good. Send word along the line that we'll stop there for the rest of the night." His voice was deep and filled with an authority that seemed too old for his seventeen year frame. There was water and shelter; the only elements required for the night. Hopefully the slight dampness to the air didn't mean rain, or even worse snow.

No more than an hour had passed by the time they had set camp and had a good, but contained fire going. Normally they would do without, but the cold was too bitter to handle. As leader he was the last to be finished, and was finally bedding down his Koke bird when they had finished preparing the meal.

"Good boy," he praised the bird quietly, rubbing the side of his flank, the thick yellow beak opening and closing contentedly around a handful of grain. His thick gloves didn't seem like they were making a dent, but then again, the bird probably didn't care either way whether it was getting petted or not. These birds were speedy, but above all other things loved to eat.

"Honda!"

Brown eyes sharply tracked to the voice, located somewhere near the fire.

"Come! Food!"

He wondered, as he moved by the efficiently raised tents, goods and well-kept birds whether his father would be proud of him. This was his first trade run on his own and in charge, though he had been traveling on the caravan trails most of his life.

They were making excellent time to Jerusalem, and with any luck they would be there within the next two weeks. From there it was on to Egypt and the river Nile, to deliver the rest of their goods to several merchants and the palace of the man they called god and king, Pharaoh.

His father had been too tied up in the family's burgeoning business to take the nearly four months leave required to travel from their home far to the east to Jerusalem and Egypt.

Without the Koke birds and their proclivity to run like the wind it would likely have taken years to make one such trip.

If one were so lucky as to own dragons it was cut nearly in half again. But dragons were notoriously difficult to train, even for those who dedicated their lives to working with them. Though his family was certainly wealthy enough to own them, his father was also vehemently opposed to their use.

It was just as well, Honda decided. He didn't feel particularly comfortable around the huge creatures, and the few they kept near and in their home didn't seem to enjoy his company. His older sister, her husband and his mother took care of them most of the time, so it didn't matter very much to him.

Still, on a night like tonight, it would have been nice to be a few miles lower in altitude than they were. There hadn't been any indication that someone had been tailing them or scoping the caravan out, but that didn't mean much. Honda wasn't one to be overly paranoid either. That still didn't explain the rotting corpses of another band of travelers they had passed a few weeks ago, or the lingering remembrances of dreams that warned of an unavoidable conflict, the likes of which no one still alive had ever seen.

He had spoken of those dreams to no one but they left him more on edge than they perhaps should have.

The glow of fire on rugged faces and the easy chatter of the meal, moved his pensive thoughts further from the forefront of his mind and he focused on the thick broth and hearty rice found there. For tonight they would be fine.

* * *

Thick air, heavy with the scent of dust, incense and parchment, ruffled the edges of the papyrus scrolls in front of him as he finished the neat symbols carefully and set it to the side to dry. Another law concerning criminals within the city. This one specifically against those who were caught on three or more occasions performing some crime. A harsher sentence now was to be imposed.

Seto pulled another piece of papyrus out and began to write with slightly less precision, his symbols both neat and legible but not the rigid lines required for official documents. As the letter's reader would not mind the more fluid, natural style he concentrated more on what he wished to write.

_'...I've been treating the injury with the advisement of the palace Duel Healer, but I have not seen as vast an improvement as should have been apparent. It isn't too serious, but any suggestions for future course of action would be welcomed._

_On a more personal note, Mokuba misses you and Dylan quite a bit. In his words of course that is not exactly how he puts it, but then again he is only ten seasons. I hope you can find some time to come and visit soon. The dragons of course miss your company. I'm sorry my duties have kept me too busy to fly north. As I have much to do, and as I know you do too I will leave it at that. Hopefully you will find time to write soon. Be sure to give your brother and mother blessings in the name of Ra for me._

_Regards,_

_Seto'_

A seal was hastily set, and the letter rolled to the side, with a mental note tied to his finger to send the letter that night.

"The guards told me I would find you here."

The young man did not start at the sudden deep voice, but stood and pivoted with crisp grace before bowing low.

"Pharaoh."

The young king stood at the doorway, regal without conscious decision to stand as such. Mikel stood behind and to his left, a constant but shadowed guard.

"Have the preparations been completed? I have consulted the best weather mages, and they say the best days to sail will be coming soon."

Seto controlled his distaste of the current subject; it had become a near constant battle ground for them and if one mentioned it, an argument was soon to follow from the other.

"They are as prepared as can be hoped for. At the moment there is little more than can be done." His voice was bland and neutral; a sign to the young monarch of the level of anger Seto truly felt.

"You don't approve?" he baited. This wasn't a new argument, but he was itching for a new challenge to test his verbal sparring against. Seto's arguments and scenarios were intricate and innovative, and it was a test of his skill to find a logical way around his High Priest's path of thought.

It irked the older man suddenly. Seto had no desire to play word games at the moment. He was tired and still hours away from the end of his afternoon duties. If he was lucky, he had hoped to go flying for a few hours before it got too dark and cold to do so. He was wasting precious time if he wished to accomplish that.

Hands idly gathered the scrolls, organized and left those that needed leaving and carefully placed the personal letter within the folds of his cloak. Blue eyes would not raise to the questioner and the obvious dismissal was evident.

When he was done and ready, Seto turned to the shorter man. In a clipped tone, "You have heard all of my arguments already. I do not feel I need to waste my time in expounding them yet again on ears that will not listen."

And with that, he strode from the chamber, smug in the fact that if only for a moment, he had rendered the Pharaoh speechless. He heard measured and hurried steps catch up to him, regal in tone, if steps could even be classified as regal and Seto wondered if that statement had been a wise idea.

"I listen to what you have to say. I am not deaf. Nor am I stupid." Seto sent him a sidelong glance; he had half expected the Pharaoh to explode at him. He almost deserved it with the amount of disrespect he had just shown, a High Priest or not.

"What would you have me do then? I cannot hide within the walls of this palace, nor can I afford not to attend this ceremony. The country already doubts my ability to lead; if I don't go, I prove their point. I am aware of the risks. I am taking precautions."

"They will not be enough," Seto stated almost distantly as they sharply turned a corner and entered a wide room designated for large diplomatic parties.

"None will truly be enough according to you."

"That is the truth." Seto gave several scrolls to scribes waiting at attention and absently took several more scrolls from another priest, lower in caste but a master at organization.

"Make sure these go to the temple of Anubis tonight." He exacted carefully.

The young man, bald and wrapped in linen bowed shortly in agreement and then averted his eyes and bowed more deeply to the Pharaoh. He backed away slowly and then moved swiftly but not skittishly from the room. The young ruler watched him go passively, though it looked as if it was taking effort to school his face into such indifference.

Seated at a table nearby were the rest of what could be considered his council. But more like a collection of the top priests and most gifted Players of the Shadow Games. The men and singular woman rose as he approached, bowing until the sixteen year old had seated himself and raised a hand in an almost ceremonial gesture. The formality and routine seemed to hurt him, the way it probably would not have mattered whether he raised his hand or not. Whether he was sitting there or not. Whether he was Pharaoh or not.

He wondered if anyone at the table would care. If Seto's concern for his safety was genuine or nothing more than requirement of a station? There was nothing that really brought on those thoughts. At least as far as he was concerned. It didn't have to do with the argument he had participated with in the morning with the Mystical Elf. If it even could be called an argument. And it certainly had nothing to do with the training session he had observed that morning. He had observed countless training sessions and games, ones nearly every day.

Though he had not seen any display quite like the one earlier in the day. The music and words were foreign, but all of the monsters and fiends had known it. Even the newest additions to this "collection" of warriorsif he could call it that. He wondered how those three foreigners had ever learned the song. It hadn't seemed like they had learned it overnight. Was there some sort of Duel Monsters...he hesitated to even think it...culture? How could it exist? Why would it exist? They were just to be used in Games. And not that that made them disposable of course, but, why would they need to create a common language, history, beliefs, music? Almost none of his Duel Monsters had come from the same region. The only two who had even know each other before they had been brought her had been Mikel and his sister.

Skye.

Her name was Skye.

He wanted to remember that.

How old was she? She couldn't have been much older than he was he reasoned.

"Pharaoh!"

He blinked.

The only indication that he was startled out of his thoughts.

Shimon sighed in a long frustrated manner. "You haven't heard a word I have said, have you?" Shimon was perhaps the only person who had and would ever be afforded that level of public disrespect to him. His personal tutor for most of his youth and something that had almost been the care of a close uncle or grandfather had given him the right.

The old man's eyes were creased with worry, fine wrinkles becoming more prominent and age settling over him more firmly. He, Shaddi, and Akuindanwere the only ones who had served both the father and now the son. And while Shaddi had appeared eerily to have aged very little, Shimon showed his years with each passing day as had Akuindan. He moved more slowly and often complained of many aches that the healers could not alleviate.

His eyes spotted the whole of the cabinet looking much the same, even Mikel standing off to the side seemed to ask with his eyes if everything was alright.

Sheepishly as it was possible for a monarch to be, he apologized. "No. I'm sorry Shimon. I was not paying attention. My thoughts were elsewhere."

The old man gave him a piercing glance, seeming to prod for a further response but received none. After an extended silence and a near battle of wills the older of the two men relented, eyes drawing down slightly and head shaking imperceptibly in worry. He heaved a sigh and continued with what he had been previously speaking of.

"Over the last three weeks there have been numerous attacks along the borders of our kingdoms; most of which have been increasing in severity. Last week alone, three major keeps in the south, over a hundred casualties at the minimum. Entire settlements were destroyed to the west. A bare amount of survivors have escaped from there."

It was obvious that Shimon hesitated in his last statement. "They have reported that creatures of the Shadows attacked, that perhaps the darkness itself may have attacked. Stories are becoming more consistent."

His eyes sought out the Pharaoh's in the silence that dropped at those statements. The young man's eyes were serious; one could almost see his lightening reasoning working to weigh possibilities and courses of action. But then...a question came to his eyes and he voiced it.

"How many can be attributed directly to this disturbance in the Realm?"

Another advisor to his right answered.

"We cannot be sure. Estimates are that at least four of the disturbances have been incited by roving bands of thieves. The most recent, we have only heard of after the fact. There were believed to be no survivors from the last two."

"Is this significantly higher than previous years?"

"No," Seto agreed. "But their severity seems to have increased rather dramatically."

"These attacks have occurred since before the times of my grandfathers. Why are you so certain that this is an indication of the Shadow's sentience...malice even? As I recall, correlation is not causation."

He straightened slightly, though one could not be sure if he had ever slouched before continuing. "Send reinforcements to these affected areas. Aid if necessary. And determine the causes of these attacks. If they are nothing more than the routine disturbances we have been subject to for years, I do not know what action I can take in the matter to end them."

"Very well," chorused the table. The middle of the road approach seemed to pacify both sides of this frequent and polarized discussion. He was concerned about the attacks, but also cautious and a tad hopeless. Exactly what could he do to stop future incidences from occurring? He remembered, very faintly, his father debating the same question late in the evening, when he was supposed to be in bed.

The affairs went on for several more hours, and it was the time of the evening meal before all matters were completed. Pharaoh dined in silence, and with little regard to what he was eating. None of it had any particular taste and other thoughts plagued his mind.

Several hours of tutelage in Shadow Magics followed, taught this time by Mikel and a relatively low level potions master whose name he did not know. There never seemed to be an appropriate time to ask.

Potions were not his skill.

"Your highness, please try again. This potion would not heal a Kuriboh with these types of impurities. I know it is late, but that does not mean a battle will not occur in which you might need these skills when you are awake and fresh for the day."

Indeed, the clay vessel in front of the young man should have held a clear liquid but instead sported a rather dark greenish paste that had the consistency of mud. It looked like it might cause more harm than good.

The muck in the bowl cleared away with a wave of his hand and he again began to add the specifics without a word. But it was obvious that the young man was distracted, mauve eyes settled on objects, but obviously didn't seem to be paying attention to them.

"Maybe we should discontinue this until tomorrow." That was Mikel who watched as the young man absently added yet another incorrect ingredient. He looked exhausted, and despite Nial's valid criticism this was merely a waste of time for all of them.

"I can finish it."

"You just added enough aloe to choke a horse with," Mikel countered quietly.

His eyes focused on the brew as if for the first time, and he was surprised to indeed find that to be true. He corrected it with a flick of his hand, and as if to prove himself, finished the potion perfectly.

Mikel dipped his head in chagrin and approval.

"Very good sir! Now, please demonstrate for me the correct configuration of..."

This continued for only a short amount of time afterwards. Niala parent two times overrecognized exhaustion when he saw it. A quick and hopefully overlooked augmentation of his lesson, and after the Pharaoh had completed the spell he was currently finishing, it seemed as if the lesson plan had been exhausted.

"I had anticipated spending far longer on that healing potion, but since you fixed your problems so early on...it appears I have nothing else prepared for you tonight..." His eyes were wise and a bit indulgent as they watched the young monarch struggle to hide a yawn.

Exchanging the formal thanks, a hesitant and awkward moment where the Pharaoh had attempted to thank the potions master by his name passed quickly. Slowly the young man struggled back to his personal chambers, eyes dull and body screaming of a long day past. His only companion was Mikel, who moved with a quiet confident swagger that belied the late evening. He was older, and trained to last for days casting heavy magic. It allowed the Pharaoh the ability to relax a bit in these few moments.

Several turns, a door and they were to the entrance to his personal chambers.

And though it was late, and there were still things he needed to do before he could rest, a crown of red, black and golden hair turned to regard his guard.

"May I ask you something Mikel?"

The man in question nodded with all the seriousness that the question implied.

"That song...the one you were singing this morning," he paused to come up with a plausible explanation for why he was asking such a ridiculous seeming question. "I heard it from my room this morning. What was it? Even the ambassadors from the North seemed to know it."

Mikel contemplated his answer for a moment before responding. "It is a song of the Duel monsters. It is a request to those who come before us, to guide us and empower us with freedom. A song of pride for all."

"Why would you need such a song? Where did everyone learn it from? Did you teach it to them?"

Mikel noted the generous dosage of curiosityoften masked in everyday existencefree to emerge here.

"I suppose they learned it from their parents, or relatives, same as I and Skye did. That song was one from childhood and festivals." The last sentence seemed so simple but implied so much more. "It is a part of our culture."

Culture.

A Duel Monsters culture. He had never thought of it like that. Had never even conceived of the idea. They were so diverse in everything from home to ability. They couldn't possibly have anything in common.

Could they?

Distractedly, he looked up from his internal contemplation, tired mauve eyes flitting up to meet quiet blue ones. "Thank you for your responses. They have answered some questions that I have had. I will leave you to your duties for the rest of the night, I'm sure you have many other obligations."

Bowing, Mikel responded. "Thank you your highness. May you be blessed by the Gods."

With that, the mage turned and strode down the hall, into the inky blackness of night. He could hear as Mikel hailed someone in a tongue he did not know, and wondered if it was someone from his family's homeland, or some other Duel Monster.

He removed all of his jewelry, and most of the adornments of the title of Pharaoh. It took a while as usual, but there was such a rush of comfort in the gesture that he couldn't begrudge the time spent on the matter. The quiet of night fell around him, and though he didn't think about it, it was almost lonely.

In the dim light of a single candle, he knelt before an almost altar in the corner. The wind blew through an open window, a whisper of sound against linen and papers. It was quiet except for the low drone of long memorized but sincerely expressed prayers.

Soon after, the Pharaoh of all Egypt crawled into bed, curled on his side, and drifted into an exhausted sleep. 

* * *

**TBC**

So comments, criticisms, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now!

Thanks for reading!


	7. Past to

Disclaimer: still not mine. bah.

Notes: Contrary to what the first page or two of this chapter may seem, this is not the beginning of a self-insertion/Mary-sue/etc. Aside from this, and perhaps two other instances, in this very LONG fic I don't plan on Wen taking any type of central role, romantic role, or lead role. She parallels Kisara in a lot of ways, though I had her place in this story set LONG before I ever read about Kisara in the manga.

Also, I am starting to drive a bit more of the canon manga arc into this story. Hope no one minds my blending of canon and AU.

Comments are always welcomed.

* * *

**May it Be**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

'_Mornië alantië Quenya: 'Darkness has fallen'_

_A promise lives_

_Within you now'_

_-Excerpt from 'May it Be' by Enya_

* * *

Still morning sunshine slid through wide-open archways as a young girl of eight made her way slowly down the corridors. It was obvious she was a foreigner, the thick boots, dark gray linen pants and tunic highlighted pale skin that had rarely been exposed to heavy sun. Short, neatly cropped hair at her shoulders was a shade of sky on a cold day that clearly offset her from the gold sand and the greens of well kept gardens. Beads—navy blue and red—were carefully woven into a portion of her hair, and a few of her clothes. Bands of woven fabric in the same blue and red lined the edges of most of her clothes and surrounded each of her biceps. 

Wen of the Dragoons was bored. It was too hot here and she longed to return north to home and her mother.

She had performed her chores for the morning, checking up on the three dragons they had brought with them for the Pharaoh and helping another servant prepare and feed them. Her own dragon had also been fed as had her father's Red Eyes Black Dragon who snapped a bit at the servant but allowed her to scratch his scales for quite a while.

Her father was remaining after the trade talks to take part in negotiations with Pharaoh Akunumkanon over some alliance between their people and this kingdom. She had not wanted to come, but since she had no brothers, her father had insisted she accompany him. When a brother was born, it would be important that she pass along her experience to him before he took over their keep. Even if he would be younger.

So far however she had been the only one of his children to survive past a few years. And so he had reluctantly begun training her to master and take care of dragons. Always with the stipulation that this was merely so that she could pass the knowledge to a capable son someday.

But when her father had woken that morning he had been tense and angry, much like he had been the night before. She was not allowed to attend these new sessions, but knew that her father must have been arguing during them. When she had pressed him for what was the matter, he had told her not to worry about it and would draw to silence afterwards.

How was she to learn anything by having to stay away during negotiations? They should have left for home days ago. What was so important that they needed to remain here, but she was not allowed to participate in? The talks before had not exactly been exciting, but at times they had been interesting, when the conversation went to dragons and such.

A sound—out of the ordinary—not the buzz of hot air or the low murmur of water and hushed men reached her ears. Someone was singing.

Curious she paused in the opening between two pillars, the jangling of the beads in her hair and the ones on her clothes stilling a moment later. Slowly and deliberately she moved into one of the gardens, lush with grasses and trees. A few minutes of careful searching and quiet walking brought her what she was looking for.

Sitting on a bench of stone, was a woman, who could not be older than twenty at the most. She was dressed well—not in the image of royalty—but certainly better than most. A bundle was in her arms and the younger girl assumed the woman was singing to it.

Clear and bright blue eyes turned to her as she entered.

Unsure and nervous, Wen bowed low in respect without taking her eyes off of the woman.

"Hello young lady. You are Draco's child, yes?" The voice was musically inclined as she continued to rock the quiet bundle in her arms.

"Yes," she replied with a somewhat heavy accent. The language of this land was hard to pronounce for Wen but easier to understand. A few weeks of total immersionhad not hurt at all.

"Would you like to see him?" She gently raised the bundle in her arms. "I bet you'll want a baby someday too right?"

Confusion and skepticism filled her face as it screwed up. "I do not want to have children." Absently however, she scooped up a very young Kuriboh that had been toddling by and approached. That didn't mean she wasn't curious.

It was a young baby, but the beginnings of hair were coming in and it was already obvious that the boy was going to have an unusual head of it.

"He doesn't look like you," she bluntly stated as only young children could.

Surprisingly the woman only laughed. "I would hope not. I'm not his mother."

That didn't make much sense, and it must have shown on her face.

"This is the Crown Prince. His mother died when he was born."

"Oh. That happened with my brother. It made my mother very sad." Wen stated it with simplicity and little remorse. For her it had not made much sense. She hadn't liked seeing her mother so upset, but could not see why it was any different than a baby horse or dragon dying. No one seemed to be as upset about that; it was taken in stride as a part of nature.

The woman seemed a bit unsettled by her response however, and so she peered a bit more closely at the little boy, whose eyes were closed but she could tell were very large in his face.

Diversion accepted; the elder woman began to speak again.

"His name is Atemu."

The baby yawned and Wen saw no teeth inside the mouth, just darkish pink gums. It was kind of cute looking for a baby. The baby Kuriboh in her arms squirmed happily at the human's movements, trilling quietly in its own language.

Quiet though it might have been, Atemu was obviously only dozing lightly because huge violet colored eyes blinked lazily open at the Kuriboh's call. The eyes roamed over the face of the human girl and he squealed in delight when they landed on the Kuriboh's bright yellow- jade eyes. It took but a moment for the two to begin trilling happily at each other, chattering away incomprehensibly. This seemed to interest Wen more and she warmed considerably to the situation, adding chatter in her own language, explaining everything she knew about the Kuriboh's habits and life.

A commanding voice rang across the courtyard, sharp and a bit angry in the young girl's native tongue.

"Wen Dragoon! Come. We are leaving."

Her father stood at the entrance to the gardens, dark black beard set in a scowl. He was dressed similar to his daughter and stood leaning on a staff that reached his shoulders. A posture that screamed indignant anger surrounded him and Wen scrunched her eyebrows together in confused concern before turning to the woman and child.

"I have to go." To the child, "Bye. You're pretty cute...for a baby."

Carefully putting the Kuriboh down on the ground she turned and rushed to her father's side. She was surprised when she didn't see the Pharaoh with him. Hadn't they been in a meeting?

"Are the negotiations over?"

"They are."

"Can we go home now? Where is the Pharaoh? Do we have to come back soon?" The questions poured from her in her curiosity. Her father's tone was one she had never heard before and it made her nervous. He was furious but it was obviously not directed at her, at least she was pretty sure of that.

"We will leave as soon as the dragons are prepared and we are packed. Let's go get your things." His voice softened at the last sentence and he reached down to haul her up in his arms.

She searched his face very seriously for a child of only eight summers. "What's wrong?"

He considered how best to respond as they walked. The halls seemed unusually empty and every few moments she saw one of the men she had come to know were guards rush past at a run. They all were heading in one direction. "Our ways and beliefs are no longer honored in this land. We will not return here again and our alliance is broken. The Pharaoh will lead his own people into disaster, and we will no longer help him to do so."

The statement made no sense to the girl and as they packed in silence she tried to understand what that meant. "Why would the Pharaoh want to destroy his people?" She hesitantly asked as they finished their packing and dressed for travel to the North.

"He does not want to destroy them, but his actions will end up doing the same thing in the end."

A shout and a loud roar of horns interrupted whatever was to be said next. Curious she leapt from the bed and over to the window, leading out onto a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

"Aba?" Her voice and tone betrayed her age suddenly as she stared out to the scene below, her entire body cringing back already with each step.

Beyond the gates of the palace was an army of hundreds, perhaps thousands if she could comprehend the number in a visual sense. Arcing overhead were some of the largest and most fierce Duel monsters in known existence and the quaking might of the mythic Exodia was a near surreal height, towering over everything.

Without a word, he drew her up into his arms but strode towards the window again.

"You must look Wen," he commanded tightly as he too looked over the invasion. "You must remember this and what is happening here. Pass it on to your brother when he is old enough to run the keep."

The child cringed back against his solid frame but did not turn her eyes away, though it was an obvious struggle to do so. A dragon felled a line of soldiers with the use of a fire spell she had never actually seen before used in combat. How could she ever forget seeing that? A smaller demon, a Feral Imp was dragged down under many men on horses and it did not take much of an imagination to know what was happening to the creature.

"The Pharaoh's priests ordered the creation of items that could bring forth those creatures by sacrificing an entire village of people. They were called thieves, but there were also families, and children who were killed. He believes that as long as it gives him the power to defend his people that any sacrifice is necessary. But that village was a part of his kingdom as well. He would not sacrifice any of his family, so there is no right for him to do so with other lives. Even to defend his people from this."

_'Items?'_ she thought. _'What kind of items?'_

Her father continued darkly. "This is the beginning of the end. Control of the realm of Shadow is waning with every generation. Darkness will come, and not even superior magic will stop it. Pharaoh does not wish to stand against this darkness with the many clans of our people. And so we will no longer provide him with trade or support. Perhaps, in the future, he will see reason. But until then, you must remember this, and not allow it to happen again. There will come a time, when the creatures that they control with force, will no longer listen to the commands of magic. Remember that."

Wen did not respond but the serious way in which she held her body up in his arms, as if understanding the weight of this new responsibility, was enough of a response for him. They left not an hour later, flying in the shadow of a battle only barely beginning, heading north and towards their home.

Wen of the Dragoons would not return to that palace for nearly seventeen years.

* * *

"I think we're lost."

"We're not lost."

"Then exactly what are we Rowan?"

"On an adventure. My brother always called these sort of things adventures."

Aidan narrowed her eyes. They were lost.

Kyna smiled as benignly as possible while they wove their way through another set of vendors and merchants. Children shouted as they scrambled in between the stalls, and quite a few paused to stare at the three as they made their way through the afternoon market. A mission of sorts to explore their surroundings outside the palace was not exactly ending up how they had planned it.

The early afternoon's council sessions had been cut short when one of the Pharaoh's high priestsone of the oldest at thathad pulled them into a private session. The man had bothered all of those present, except for perhaps the priests and Pharaoh himself. Mikel had looked distinctly displeased at the man's intrusion, as did many of the Duelers. Skye was more apprehensive than anything; but the three newcomers immediately sensed the distrust from the rest of the Duelers as well.

Akunadin, did not exude an air of trust, nor of a wish to be respected. Rather to cower under.

Thus, the three friends found themselves with the unique opportunity to explore the city. They had wandered far now, nearly to the outskirts and close to where they had come ashore a few days prior. And yes, Kyna reflected; though they were quite lost, it had been a rather stellar day.

The night before had been an unexpected Game against a petty criminal with an actually impressive array of Monsters and Fiends at his command. He had lacked strategy however, and the Pharaoh had crushed him easily. It had been their first occasion to witness a penalty game however, and that was far more disturbing than any battle Kyna could remember ever participating in. She pushed it from her mind for the time being. It was very clear to her that the magic of the Items and the Realm were never meant to be used in that manner.

There had been no wish to discuss the manner, as all involved had simply wanted to go to rest afterwards. The youngest of the group were visibly shaken; the screams of the man as he was given over entirely to the Realm still rang in her ears unpleasantly. Kyna had taken a moment of comfort though, in the face of the young Pharaoh. Aidan had mentioned it briefly as well, bright eyes downcast as they walked back to their rooms.

If not for the tallest Priest with him—Seto—the young man would have fallen over.

"He was crying." Aidan had spoken quietly, her staff clanking rhythmically against the stone floor in time with their steps. Kyna had nodded, unsure at the time of how to take the commentor respond. It was obvious that even he did not enjoy this particular penalty game.

It was strange that it still weighed on her so heavily and that concern for the young man remained at the front of her mind. Even on Aidan's whose attitude towards their new commander had done nothing but grow more acerbic, not less.

Eventually, and despite Rowans complaints to the contrary they found a vendor who spoke passable Gaelic (in Aidan's native dialect) to give them directions back. The man was very short, even for an elderly gentleman. His hair was tied back under a cloth and he looked to be a doctor of sorts from the way he spoke (very few in this city would ever have need to know Gaelic at all). Perhaps more telling had been the young fiend he had been bandaging for two seven-year-old boys before they had interrupted.

And though it was in no way the path they intended to travel back, they found themselves walking the shore of the Nile. It was refreshing to be near so much running water. So much activity and life. Though the palace was full of people, nobility, and Duelers, it paled in comparison to the hustle and bustle of those going about their daily lives. Their chatter was warm, rapid and gestures were joyous. It was no wonder that they took little notice of the two young men they avoided effortlessly on their return. An orange dragon tumbled between them and they both looked to be carrying heavy loads. The shorter one, with a basket that reached from nearly head to toe and the taller with bright blonde hair carrying a pole strung between both shoulders.

Rowan arced out of their way without missing a beat, gesturing widely to Kyna about a particular story he had heard from her. Though they passed the young men with barely a second thought, except perhaps to avoid the dangling fish, they had caught the young men's eyes.

Yugi and Katsuya stopped to stare wide-eyed at the passing trio. When they had disappeared further down the shore and out of both of the boy's sights they turned excitedly for home.

"Did you see them?" Katsuya relayed excitedly, even though it was a mostly redundant statement. "Real Duelers! And that was a Mystic Elf! And a Celtic Guardian! I wonder what they're doing here? Do you think they work for the Pharaoh?"

"I'm not sure...they must though," Yugi replied with as much enthusiasm, though it was tempered by the basket he was carrying and the turban he had to make sure didn't fall apart, and consequently fall off his head.

"Did you see his sword?" Yugi pressed as they ducked down a side street to avoid the congested main thorough-fare. "Bet it could cut through a Feral Imp without even trying hard!"

"Hey it could even cut through Gambit!" The taller proclaimed to which he received a solid nip to the ankle from his pet. "OW!" he shouted, managing to hop on one foot, balance the rod in one hand and grab at the offended ankle to check for damage.

Yugi couldn't control his laughter and had to stop to put his hands on his knees.

Grumbling and looking at the dragon with eyes that said "it's true!" he rubbed the ankle before putting it down, and straightening to look at Yugi. "It's not that funny..." he trailed off, though it was mostly in jest and had no real anger to it.

"Yes it is." He responded as they recovered and kept walking. A small home was up ahead with an extensive looking extension on the back. Both young men made their way to a back entrance and through a small door into a kitchen area, very similar to the one found in Katsuya's home.

"Grandpa! I'm back! I brought Katsuya and Gambit too!" Yugi called as he lowered his basket carefully to the floor and swiped the turban off his head. It was too warm out after having to carry around such a load and he desperately wished he didn't have to wear it outside. Thick hair was plastered by sweat to his forehead and neck, too eerily similar to the Pharaoh's to be anything other than a sign from some higher power. Though Yugi knew nothing of the coincidence; his grandfather knew plenty of it and thus his deadly serious insistence upon covering it at all times when not home or in the presence of the occasional guests.

"Hey! Do you think that girl, the one with the red hair, knows a lot of spells? Maybe she can teach us some if we see her again!" Katsuya asked as he carefully removed a few fish and set them out on the table. They both started to unpack the basket as they continued.

"She was a Magician of Faith. She probably doesn't know as many spells as the Mystic Elf. Besides, it's not like we have lots of magical power in us," Yugi lifted a package out and set it aside. "What good would learning spells do if we couldn't use them?"

"Yeah, you're right I guess. But it would still be exciting!" Katsuya promptly launched himself onto the table, Gambit racing up to join him. "I call on the magic of the Realm to make this Baby Dragon into a thousand year old dragon!" He waved his hands frantically for a moment before pointing at the toddling baby dragon that was investigating the fish for dinner.

Of course nothing happened. Katsuya investigated his hand for a moment. "Guess I'm not all that gifted in magic yet."

Yugi watched with a smile, until he noticed the dragon making actual progress on opening the package with his snout. "Gambit, NO!" he shouted, making a dive for the wrapped meat and knocking several other items out of the way. Katsuya simultaneously yanked his dragon up and away in an almost comical fashion.

This was how Yugi's grandfather found them not a moment later as he walked back into the home, from the room he used to see patients and perform healing.

"I see you boys are having fun," the elder man deadpanned as he wove around to a basin at the far end of the room.

"Hi Gramps!" Katsuya said before promptly realizing he was standing on the table and jumped off, dragon in hand.

"Hi Grandpa," Yugi responded more sedately as he straightened. "I got everything you asked for."

"Good my boy," the elder man praised as Yugi pulled the last item out and handed it over to him for inspection.

Despite being nearly ancient, Yugi's grandfather Solomon was very spry for his age. So much so that he seemed to be younger than his graying hair and deep laugh line wrinkles suggested. It didn't surprise many that he managed to still work a full day and raise a grandson as well.

Yugi watched to see if his selection of drug had met his grandfather's approval. He had been studying hard and was gaining more knowledge of Duel Monster healing almost daily.

After a few moments of careful checking, Solomon nodded enthusiastically. "This is exactly what he'll need Yugi. You made an excellent selection." Yugi beamed at that.

"Guess what grandpa!" Yugi shouted in excitement. Solomon nodded slightly as he went about checking over a few things. "We saw a Celtic Guardian today! And a Mystic Elf...even a Magician of Faith! They were walking through the market place while we were heading home. Did you see them?"

The older man thought for a minute, bushy silver eyebrows covering violet eyes thoughtfully. "Ahhh yes! I do remember those three. Very polite. They came seeking directions back to the palace. They are new to the city and were quite lost. I spent some time in the Magician of Faith's homeland and spoke a little of her dialect. Enough it would seem for her to get directions."

This seemingly offhand comment piqued the interest of the two young men, and they drilled him for the next few minutes on what it was like so far away from their home.

"Both of you will have to excuse me, I will need to deliver this to my patient before the end of the night. I shouldn't be gone long Yugi if you want to start with making dinner."

Yugi nodded from where he was sitting on a bench. Katsuya reluctantly rose as well. "I better get going too. I've got work to do with this tonight, and it's my night to clean the dishes. Plus I wanna work with Gambit a bit more."

Plans were promised for the next day, as Katsuya would have free time on land and not head out on the boats. Yugi too was looking forward to a day of freedom from responsibilities and planned to spend it with one of his closest friends.

They said their good-byes away from the doorway, since Yugi didn't want to rewrap his hair and Katsuya understood the feeling. Gambit and him wandered from the door in the waning daylight and Yugi's foster Kuriboh teetered after them for a few moments before heading back to the people that had provided him with everything for the entirety of his memory.

The night was nothing particularly special or unusual. When his grandfather returned home, it was just in time for the meal. They ate and talked of the day's events, with a heavy emphasis on the three Duelers that they had seen earlier. A few hours of treating the various monsters in their care; and a little while curled in front of the fire simply being with his grandfather. Before long it was time for bed and both men were soundly resting under thick blankets.

Nothing indicated to them that in less than forty-eight hours; their daily lives would be drastically changed.

* * *

**TBC**

Another set up chapter I know. The action should pick up in the next one. I have to move a lot of characters into position, and really wanted to give a few characters a chance to simply interact. Though this would be something cut from a film, it's something I treasure in writing.

So...comments, criticisms, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now.


	8. Present to

Disclaimer: not mine the end.

Notes: Wow. Two years changes a lot I've found and while I always wanted to finish this, I somehow lost my focus too. Not sure quite why it came back. I need to do an intense amount of rewrite/reorganizing etc on the previous chapters as I've found my writing has improved since I started this. I do really like how this chapter starts out (had it written for at least a year).

Comments would always be welcome none the less.

**May It Be **

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

_'May it be  
The shadow's call  
Will fly away'_

_-Excerpt from 'May it Be' Enya

* * *

_

He was unsure for a moment how he knew. But he was dreaming. He was very sure of that.

He stood in the corner of the same room he'd spent the majority of his childhood. Until he was almost eleven in fact. He recognized the bed, and the view from the large windows that lined one wall. Though when he tried to move or reach out to anything, he found that he couldn't. It was like he was reaching but nothing actually got any closer to his outstretched fingers devoid of the normal jewelry he should have been wearing.

He wasn't very concerned with that though. The room had been destroyed shortly before he turned eleven actually. That was what confused him.

It was early evening, the sky dark with stars, but the moon still high. Candles were lit in the room, though a second ago there had been no need. He found that odd, puzzling for a moment as to how the change had happened and slipped by his alert senses. 

A movement across the room, near the bed drew his attention however, and why he had been confused fled from his thoughts like melting smoke.

The fact this was a dream only solidified as he felt little surprise when he should have been astonished.

His father was sitting on the edge of the bed. Bending over with a wet cloth before scooping someone up. Him, he realized faintly.

The man who was once Pharaoh was dressed in simple garb, none of his title apparent in his appearance. He looked tired, but inordinately concerned with the boy he cradled.

In an instant the realization came to him.

During the rainy months of his tenth year, he had fallen gravely ill. He remembered little of what had happened during this time, but learned from his priests that for the better part of a month there was much thought that he would not survive the illness. A fever had made everything hazy and he faintly remembered aching all the time.

The only remotely clear memories he had of that time were these. He had not known how often they had happened, as time for him had been warped with days being too short and nights going on forever. But a healer said that every night and free moment he had, his father had been by his side.

There was no way to describe the comfort that came from being curled in his arms, face pressed against a shoulder, an arm slung around his neck. It had always felt better when he was draped in his father's arms. Always.

The young man watched his father stride around the room in slow even steps, swaying his younger self from left to right quietly, even as humming and indecipherable words drifted on the bare breeze.

There was a startling moment when he realized how much he missed it.

And in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly no longer in the room. He didn't recognize it at first but was not overly alarmed, much as he had not been before. His father would come soon and explain it or make it better. Nothing to worry about.

But there was something false in that statement, something that couldn't be right even though he had believed it a mere moment earlier.

It was much colder here, and he suddenly wished he had a cloak or a blanket to wrap around him.

A strange material was encasing his arms, and he did not recognize the foreign almost cloak, almost shirt he was wearing. Nor did he recognize the bright blue color, or the thick straps around his wrists.

The puzzle was gone and he knew it was broken. But he'd never seen it broken before; didn't even know it had been a puzzle up until that thought.

He knew his father was dead, and had been for quite some time. Was he dead too? Where was his father then? Wasn't he supposed to be able to see him? And his mother. He didn't remember her at all, but still. He wanted to know her. Anzu had always been a wonderful substitute, but he craved knowledge of this one person.

The surroundings suddenly snapped into focus around him, and what he saw brought true panic to him.

A maze. A horrible endless maze that defied all the laws of nature that he had ever known. Panic because he suddenly couldn't remember why he was there or how to get out and he never would because he couldn't even remember his name. And it was all his fault. All of it. His family was dead, all directly resulting from him, and he was dead but not with them and never would be...

With a spasm of terror, Atemu woke. He was tense for a second, unable to breath, unable to think, and for a moment sure he was dead before his mind caught up.

It was dark, late evening or early morning depending on how one looked at it. He was freezing, though he could feel heavy linen weighing down on him, clinging to sweat covered skin. It faintly made him sick to his stomach.

A long moment passed before he crawled out of bed, very aware that at least for the moment, he would not be able to sleep. In theory he would only have to rise in a short while anyway. The thick linen blanket tagged along, dragging across the floor less and less as the young man tugged it as tightly as possible around his shoulders. It was comforting to be wrapped in, but he quite honestly didn't know if that was because of the temperature outside or the remnants of that horrid...whatever it had been.

Very few were awake this late at night, except for a handful of guards he could see standing at strategic points of the compound. And a few nocturnal Duel Monsters roamed the far end of the courtyard, and the air above; ones whom he barely saw because of this fact. It was quiet and calm and he wondered if it was some sort of bad omen. He could ask Isis about it. She was always willing to answer his questions, though she always cautioned that she could not answer or predict everything. Shimon perhaps could offer advice, but only if he was willing to sit through a long lecture. The rest of the council was easily dismissed. He would feel ridiculous even asking them.

An almost inconsequential fear came to his mind and he felt miserable wishing his father were there. Atemu knew, logically, maybe even spiritually that he should be happy for his father. He was now Osiris; content and at rest; the most powerful of all the Gods. That did not stop the ache of wanting him to be there, even just to sit next to. On the days when his position, his relationships (or lack thereof), his faith, or his strength seemed to fail him, he desperately wished to just be held again.

There was a small bench just outside the door and he curled onto it, in the anti-thesis of all things expected of someone of both his age and status. The view from this perch was spectacular, allowing him a nearly full view of the city he presided over, lit by a bright nearly full moon. It stretched to the horizon, and beyond it he could make out the bare beginnings of mountains, a darker ink against a sea of midnight blue. Far to the left, he could barely make out the lush greenery of the banks of the great river. His childhood room had overlooked that portion of his family's land. Atemu didn't like to think about that too much.

Though he had been grateful beyond any person's understanding for his father's presence when he had fallen ill, to this day he wished his father had stayed away as many of the healers had tried to persuade him to. Perhaps then, he would not have fallen ill. Perhaps they would not have razed the wing to the ground, and everything in it to quell the spread of disease. Perhaps, his father would not have died months later, alone in a bed that he had been forbidden to visit for fear of becoming ill again.

It was ridiculous to dwell on it, Atemu chided himself. Very unprofessional, and not fit for a leader. He had too many other things he needed to think of. Like the war that was spreading to the south. And the rumors from the north and east of amassing Shadows, dangerous Duel Monsters that even he did not dare to summon, coming forth and attacking for no apparent reason. At the very least, he should be focused on the ceremony he was heading to this morning.

The rumors of the supposed new strength of the Shadow Realm could be nothing more than that. Atemu had remembered reading about them from childhood. They had always existed in their world. It couldn't be that they were suddenly becoming malevolent if that were the case. His father had wielded them as had his many father's before. The priests had no trouble controlling their monsters of choice. Aside from the occasional squabble between creatures, and a few quarrels between the magic users, they were actually stronger than they had been in several generations.

It was possible that simply the Northern people's weren't capable of dealing with the Shadows' immense strength. His advisers however, several of whom had traveled far from the kingdom insisted that it was not necessarily the case. Seto was particularly adamant about that, suggesting that the Gamers and Magic user's from the North were even more skilled than those of the two lands.

Atemu supposed that was possible as well, and weighed the thoughts equally. Seto had spent a considerable period of time (several years in fact) far to the North, in a land renowned for it's abilities with dragons. It was where all of his current prized Blue Eye's originated from. He trusted Seto very much, but couldn't help and scoff at his assertions. If they were such renowned dragon masters, they should be powerful enough to destroy his land, decimate his people and SURELY drive back the Shadow Realm. And if they could not accomplish even that small task, they probably didn't have the kind of strength that Seto asserted.

His newest ambassadors should have mentioned something as well, if the situation were so dire. They all came from lands far North of even where Seto had spent time. The Magician of Faith in particular was not skilled at holding her temper or opinions in check. She would have said something about being summoned from her home in such a time of need.

Outside of a Duel, their brief introduction only a week prior had been their lone interaction. The only reason he knew about her temper was from watching the early morning practice of his most experienced and powerful warriors.

If he asked her would she speak her mind? Would Kyna? Or Rowan? Would any of them?

Mikel could always be trusted to give a true opinion to him, even if he didn't ever stray in his loyalty to the Pharaoh. Could he offer any insight into the conflicting reports?

Because even though the Shadows had been recorded in their histories for generations, there had never been so many attacks, so many deaths, and so many reports of their appearance.

It did worry him, though he was unsure of how or if to proceed at all.

For now, there was little he could do, he was certain of that. Several ambassadors, and a handful of merchants hailing from various directions of the wind would arrive within the next few months, and he expected to ask of their interactions with the Shadow and of how their people planned to proceed. And even if they did warn of impending disaster, he was surely powerful enough to stop them. No other people's had ever wielded control like his line did. It would be enough if such a dire time came. 

It would have to be.

Atemu fell asleep clutched to that conviction, though even in his arrogance, he sensed a bit of his own foolishness. Body folded compactly on the bench, he gave the servants a terrible scare later that morning when they came in search of him, and found the bed empty; their leader no where to be seen. Shimon and Mikel had both been summoned and were also badly frightened until Mikel had stepped out onto the balcony, searching for signs of an attacker. In the predawn light, Mikel had the distinct impression that the young man was even younger than the three years that separated them.

The shouts that ensued and near leveling of that particular wing of the compound by Shadows was testimony enough as to how much Atemu did not want to wake.

* * *

Skye turned groggily towards the sounds of Shadows and mild property destruction. Rubbing her eye with a balled fist, she yawned as she continued to pull on her boots and gauntlets absently.

'Wonder what that was about?' she mumbled before rising into a stretch that made her seem a solid six inches taller. It was early even for them, and Mikel had left in a rush after an urgent summons from a servant. Probably something to do with the Pharaoh she had grumbled before beginning to rise herself. He'd fallen asleep on her bed--an unusual occurrence--and she hadn't the heart to make him go back to his own quarters. 

Though training wasn't formally scheduled to begin for another length of the sunrise, she was hungry. And with that racket going on, who exactly was planning to sleep in? Carrying hat and staff, she left and headed to the dining hall. 

Suspecting that they would be clear due to the early hour, she was surprised to find Kyna sitting serenely in an open archway as if she woke this early every day.

"What are you doing awake Kyna? It's so early."

Her bright green eyes turned to meet her.

"It's the solstice. I was up to see the rising. Where I come from, it is a very important celebration."

"Oh," Skye responded curiously. Kyna rose to walk with her, moving like effortless flowing water.

"In the north, this is a time of great importance to our farmers. It signals the beginning of our short growing season, when the weather grows warm. Most of the year it's too cold for things to grow from the ground at least."

Skye mulled this over as they walked. "There's something similar coming up soon. The Pharaoh goes to inspect the crops on the river. I think he blesses them. To ensure that the bugs will not come and devour them or something like that. Mikel gets all nervous at this time of the year, because it's always been a good time to try and assassinate him."

Kyna looked troubled as they entered the dining hall, took up food and found a seat again near the wide windows.

Skye didn't seem to have noticed, continuing on as if this were something both inevitable and commonplace.

"Last cycle, there was this kid in a cloak, he was really angry and he managed to get onto the boat. He had a monster with him--a demon fiend--and he tried to ambush the Pharaoh. Kalim was injured stopping him and the Pharaoh never even knew the man was there. Kalim's arm was nearly torn off. Mikel was afraid he might die before they could get him back to healers." Her hands twisted a piece of bread to shreds as she spoke, tense and unaware that she was doing it.

The horrified look on Kyna's face finally seemed to reach the young girl who in the last few moments had gone somber. Guilt seemed to radiate off her as she continued in a low voice.

"I'm glad it wasn't my brother who got hurt though. When he gets hurt...I wonder what will happen if he dies. I wasn't old enough to train back then, and even if I was, I don't think I could have made a difference." It was an admission, one that Skye clearly saw as weakness. 

A long blue hand made to reach out, to offer something in return for such an intimate fear shared but pulled back at the last second. The hesitation was enough for Skye to regain her former brightness as if nothing had ever been bothering her.

"That's why I'm working so hard. Because my brother might need me someday and I'm gonna be ready when he is. I'll lend him my strength when his is gone."

Somehow Kyna was not surprised by that assertion, a challenge to herself as much as to the world. Their attention turned to food and soon they were joined by a number of other ambassadors who filled their breakfast with introductions and family histories. Kyna was surprised to meet a soon to be distant relative from her fiance's cousins.

Chatter nearly made them late for practice.

* * *

The barge was long, refined and made of a solid wood, comparable only to the ships that Kyna, Rowan and Aidan had journeyed on to reach this city. Those ships only existed due to the use of magics making this hand crafted vessel all the more impressive. The waters here were deep and blue, bordered by reeds and lush plant life that flourished on the banks.

"Quite the vessel," Rowan remarked, leaning nonchalant on the hilt of the sword buried in the sand.

Aidan agreed with a rather noncommittal grunt, standing with her back against a low mud wall, staff and leg crossed carelessly across her front. They were far from the entrance to the barge, late in a long line of duelists and monsters who flanked the water's edge. A long procession was making its way from the palace to this pier bringing the Pharaoh and his most elite priests to continue their prayers. It was hot and easy to blame the Mage's apparent bad mood on the long wait in the blinding sun. 

The Magician was actually feeling mildly more charitable towards their new "master" (though she still refused to give him the luxury of that title). Railing against their status as second class citizens to the people of this nation was still a chief topic of conversations. But his clear devotion to his beliefs was something she could not find fault in.

It wasn't truly respect, but more of a tolerance than had been present before.

Rowan turned his eyes down the line, mind too hot to focus on a coherent thought.

'Maybe if I don't move, I won't sweat as much,' Skye pondered hopefully, feeling a thick bead of water trail down her back regardless. Positioned farther towards the front of the line, next to Mikel as an apprentice was expected to be, she hadn't been allowed the luxury of relax.

The calls of the city's citizens grew suddenly into a loud cacophony and as one they rose to full attention. As the Pharaoh rounded a corner to view the vessel and those lining the beach anyone would be hard pressed to find a more impressive sight. When standing at rigid attention, these Duel Monsters commanded respect. Atemu swelled with pride at the sight, assured at his standing among anyone who might challenge Egypt.

Here was the most fearsome group of soldiers that could possibly be assembled.

And all under his command. The doubts he might have felt in the pre-dawn light, no doubt a product of that strange nightmare and listening too much to the reports from outsiders, were quelled in that moment.

A nod of sincere thanks to Mikel who bowed formally low, and which was followed a second later by the entire line. He had never seen a kuriboh bow before and was mildly amused to see his bend lower than almost any other creature. A smile, faint yet warm lit his features and he mounted the boat with little preamble.

Seto had been close the entire time, alert blue eyes scanning the area in a constant but mostly discreet manner. Several other priests, all elite mages in their own right followed. Mikel mounted the boat next, Skye following. Kyna was among the party to board as well, bordered by several other high ranking players. She had been surprised at the order to travel on this journey, especially considering her argument not a week prior.

Preparations were brief, and the boat cast off, a massive cast of men pushing away from the shore with poles the length of houses. Aidan and Rowan raised their hands in traditional gestures of good parting from the north and suddenly the entire shore burst into well wishing farewells. Shouts of 'A hui hou kakou Pomaikai!' echoed along the coast not directed solely at the players but to all those on the vessel. Standing facing the shore, eyes bright, clear, and excited everyone responded in kind. The Pharaoh watched this all from far back, a dais raised above them all. His eyes cautiously watched the display of camaraderie these players shared, and eventually his eyes drifted to the horizon far distant and marred by neither clouds of darkness.

"This is not a wise idea," Seto intoned again, more token protest than anything at this point.

He'd always appreciated the High Priest's straightforward advice; somehow Seto had never shirked from speaking his mind though he was often contradicting a living God. A glance to his side and a step behind him, revealed the man with a severe frown on his face.

His priests were wrong though. This trip was vital to show that the nation was strong, that it's leader was strong, engaged and visible. Responsibility to his people was the chief reason though. It was his job to ensure the gods favored this harvest, the largest one of the year that would sustain them through the lean months to come. 

"It would appear that there is not a way to turn back now," Atemu countered, smirking supremely as they watched men pole them away from the shore.

* * *

TBC

_'A hui hou kakou Pomaikai!' _Until we meet again, good luck!

Comments are always welcome, seeya next time (which might be sooner than two years if I can pull it off). Thanks for reading!


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